


Re imagined a klance fic

by CuriousDeath



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Bisexual Keith, F/F, F/M, Happy boisterous keith, Lance is the one to eventually join the group instead of keith, Langst, M/M, Sad self conscious lance, So its kinda like a personality swap, Trans Lance (Voltron), You will figure it out I guess, idk what else to tag
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-11
Updated: 2018-08-22
Packaged: 2018-12-14 00:21:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 29,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11771544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CuriousDeath/pseuds/CuriousDeath
Summary: Trans lance auLance is the one separate from the group instead of keithKeith is the happy one. He not flirty but also not the moppy canon keithLance is sad and self conscious bc he left his friends in his second year of highschool while he was still she he hasn't had friends since highschool when he moved school and went on T . When he joins Altea university he meets keith and soon learns that he never should have pushed his old friends awayMía McClainTo lance mcclainThere will langstUh yeah enjoy I guess im sorry this is a shit summary





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Im just posting this now so I dont forget   
> Idk if its gonna be a long fic or whatever and idk if it'll be anygood but bear with me pls im trying

Taking a deep breath lance got out of his taxi and looked in awe at the glorious Altea university, this would be a fresh start for him.  A place where no one knows him or his face, a place where he can begin again.  
Lance closed his eyes and took that step past the gates.

~

Keith and Pidge are sat in the introduction hall, its the first day of their university lives.  
Pidge is sat calmly waiting in their tour group for some senior to show them around. While keith was practically bouncing off the walls with excitement.  
"Dude calm your shit." Pidge say with an irritated expression   
"Sorry but I do not talk to noobs that use improper GRAMMAR!" Keith yell back twitching in his seat "I'm just very excited OK?"

"I do not except this. I don't think ill be able to live with you after all." Pidge states "think ill just room with hunk."

"Whaaat. c'mon Pidge" Keith whines, they had been friends since half way through high school. Pidge hunk and Keith were practically brothers (and a sister I guess)  
Keith hadn't always been so energetic and loud, it was only when he met those two did the shift in his usually brooding personality occur.

"No, Keith I swear to god if you are like this 24/7 I will murder you with these child sized hands." Keith pouted , slumping in his seat and they quietly waited for their tour guide.

the guide showed up a near 10 minutes later, with a cheerful demeanor.

"hello there my name is Takashi Shirogane, but you all may call me Shiro, and i will be your RA and guide." Keith looked the man up and down skeptically, he had a prosthetic arm and a rough scar across the bridge of his nose. but non of that made him any less attractive, he had an undercut with a long white fringe, his looks were rugged but his personality was comforting and dad like. Keith stood from his seat and smiled at the man, deciding he like him.

"Lead the way."    

~

Lance was slumped in the corner of the introduction hall with his army green hoodie pulled up over his head, he wasn't brave enough to go out and try and make new friends. He looked up from his spot in the corner when he heard a disruptive yelled from the other side of the room.   
Some kid was yelling about grammar.  
He sighed, he wished he could speak out like that, like he used to.  
But his boisterous self was gone,  much like his ability to feel any joy.  
A woman maybe a year or two older than lance, she had long silver hair and dark skins similar to lances came and stood in front of his group, she was quite beautiful in lances opinion, her blue eyes and tattoos under them popped because of her darker skin, making her absolutely stunning.  
"Hello my is is Allura." she greeted the group with an English accent "I will be your guide and your RA for the time being, i hope to become good friends with you all." Allura said with a smile she was wearing a light blue polo shirt with the words guide written on the breast pocket  
With a sigh lance stood and followed behind his tour group,  he looked over at the three people at the back if the room. the were standing with another guide, The rowdy ones. A guy around his age with jet black hair that looked like a mullet, a red cropped jacket and a black shirt and jeans was standing next to the guide laughing happily. The rest of the group was hidden from lances sight by the two men. the mullet turned and looked lance in the eyes, he had striking violet eyes that shone in the dimly lit room. the man smiled at him, causing lance to turn away abruptly and walk faster. ending up next to Allura, who was chatting with one of the other students.

lance kept his head down for the rest of that day, barely listening to a word that was being said.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Im gonna see how long I can draw out lance meeting hunk and pidge for.  
> There might not be any fluff between lance and keef for a while but hey I like things to go slow

Lance sat alone in his first class, he was the first one to get to there fearing being late on the first day. Minutes passed and lance watched students slowly trickle in one by one or in groups, after a few more minutes the professor arrived. He had short orange hair and an impressive mustache.  
"Good morning class, I am professor Coran and welcome to one class of many for your aviation major. Now-" the professor was cut off by someone bursting into the room, it was the Mullet man from the other day lance noticed but quickly looked away and out of the widow.  
"Sir would you like to explain why you are late for class pn the first day?" Coran asked the man   
"Oh i-i hAd...to run.. from the...other side of campus," the black haired man managed to get out while gasping for air, he bent over and sucked in a breath.  
"Well you are lucky not all of the seats are taken." Coran said curtly and gave a brief non in lances direction, causing the boy to sink further in his seat from dread "take a seat please so we can continue my introduction."  
The man stumbled to the back of the room and plopped down next to the Cuban boy, giving him a fright,  
"Whew~ that went well." Keith said, he turned to lance and smiled "Hey, the names Keith Kogane." He said and stretched his hand out towards lance, whose glare faltered as he hesitantly took his hand.  
"Uh, Lance McClain." He replied nervously, trying not to make eye contact in fear that he was like a T-Rex and would continue to pester lance if he moved.  
"Nice to meet ya lance. I'm majoring in aviation, how about you?" lance signed inwardly, he would have to talk to this guy after all.  
"Oh uh, yeah. Me too I guess." Lance muttered looking down at his note pad, he takes a deep breath 'is it him?' he thought and looked back at the man next to him who taking notes, being closer to him lance was take aback by how pretty this man was, 'is pretty the right word?' Lance thinks and takes another peek 'yeah it definitely is' as lance noticed the other day, the mans eyes were in fact a striking violet with grey flecks.    
In the pale light of the lecture hall Keith grey eyes glowed subtly, his pale skin a stark contrast to his inky black hair that seemed to pull off a mullet. Keith glanced up at lance and noticed his staring. He turned to lance once again giving him a bit of a fright.  
" Uh is there something on my face?" Keith laughed, causing lance to shrink back in his seat at having been caught,   
"I uh, sorry i was just zoning out." lance muttered while scowling and looking away.  
"Ok..." Keith said confused. The Cuban male mentally face palmed, embarrassed by his inability to socially connect to people. lance took another shaky breath. 'worth a shot' he thought to himself.  
"Ok" Lance asked slowly turning back to Keith, who looked back at him questioningly "you're the first person to talk to me here other that my RA, so could we like i don't know.. be friends?"  
Keith let out a small chuckle   
"Dude Ive know you for like 10 minutes," Keith states with an eyebrow raised, and lances heart drops "But you seem pretty cool, so yeah man I'd love to be friends." Lance looks up surprised   
"R-really??" Lance said sitting up in his seat and pulling down his hood to look Keith in the eyes.   
"Yeah Really." Keith laughs, a grin spreading across his face causing his eyes to wrinkle at the corners.  
"C-cool cool," lance says turning his attention back on the lecture, 'it really was worth the risk' lance thought happily, turning back to the lesson.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is this chapter shorter?? I cant tell ;=;

"GUYS!!" Keith yelled as he burst into his dorm where pidge and hunk were on their ugly brown couch  
"Jesus, Keith what the hell?" Pidge said looking up from the game they were playing, an annoyed look on her face. hunk glanced up from his culinary book   
"Yeah buddy?" 

"I, Keith Kogane have made a friend." Keith stated with his hands on his hips and a proud look on his face "his name is lance and he's totally real,"

"Sure thing there buddy," hunk said going back to his book   
"Ha like anyone would be friends with your emo ass." Pidge snickered 

"F-for the Last time I'm not that emo!" Keith said defensively "In fact, I don't even listen to screamo anymore."  
"Anymore?" pidge looked at his quizically "Say that to your hair cut dipshit"  
"Ma'am you wound me, my hair is gorgeous." Keith pouts "but in all seriousness, I did Meet someone new who is in the same major as me. Hes only in my physics class though,"  
"So what's this guy like?" Hunk asks not looking up from the book  
"Well he seemed kinda, shy and angry when I first met him but as class went on he opened up really well and was the one to ask and be friends." Keith says remembering his encounter   
"So what's his last name?" Pidge asks with a mischievous glint in her eyes

"No way am I telling you, you will definitely hack into any social media or whenever you do and fuck Shit up." Keith accuses her   
"Well when ya put it like that....yeah I was totally going to do that." she cackled  
"Ugh, you guys are the worst," Keith grumbled before plopping on the couch in between Pidge and Hunk "Oh shoot I forgot to get his number!"  
"Keith, shut up I'm trying to beat this boss, and I'm not really concerned about how much you want to fuck this dude." "PIDGE!!"

~

"I CANT BELIEVE I DID IT!!" Lance yelled into his phone   
"Jeez lance with that yelling I bet even mamí could hear you." Lances niece Sofía replies from across the line "besides what are you so excited about?"

"Jasmine may have bat ears but i doubt it, and I made my first friend." Lance boasted   
"Ah im so happy for you!!" Sofía cooed "how long has it been since you've had a friend??"  
"Not since, ya know them.."   
"Oh...I see so it has been that long, tío you should call Mamí, shes worried about you.." there was a long silence Before lance could reply  
"I know..but, it scares me for her to see me. I know she doesn't approve with who I am.." lance breathes   
"How could you say that Tío, mamí practically broke down the day you left. She blames herself for you leaving."  
"She shouldn't I was already going to leave, but the way Mamí reacted really hurt. I she is there, you can put her on and we can talk.  ya know for a 12 year old you sure are mature" lance laughed sadly "I really miss you guys..."  
"Alright tío, goodnight." She said before giving the phone to her mother, lances oldest sister

"lance..its good to talk to you after so long." Jasmine said

"Hey..i'm sorry its been so long, i just didn't think mamí would be too happy with you for speaking to the household disappointment." he said sourly

"Oh hermano... please don't talk about yourself like that, you know mami love you." Jasmine cooed

"it really doesn't seem like it, especially after what happened."

Jasmine was quiet for a while after that, "i know what it may seem like, and after all you still have me and the rest of your siblings to support you." Jasmine sighed "mami is just stuck in her ways, she'll come around."

"I hope so, even after what she said, i still miss her." lance breathed

Jasmine chuckled on the other end "this call wasn't supposed to be sad, so tell me, how is everything?" she questioned, getting some life back in her voice.

lance laughed lightly "its a lot better than i expected, i even made an almost friend in my physics class." jasmine congratulated him, clapping heard from her end "I dont have a roommate so i get a place to myself, and these dorms are like friggin apartments! its nothing like the other places i thought about." lance went on about the good thing for a while, his sister listened quietly. a wide grin on her face, she was happy for him, so happy.

after an hour of non stop talking, they decided it was time to part ways and lance hung up.

Lance sighed and sat down on his bed,  He was glad he didn't have a roommate. but it also made it a little lonely.  
"I wonder where they are now." Lance mumbled thinking about his old best friends that he had foolishly pushed away and out of his life, oh how he regretted it, but hey..he still had his siblings.  
but Maybe, just Maybe if he had just come clean to them back then none of this horribleness would have ever happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slowly getting to the back story of the shit.  
> Idk how to have keith introduce lance uugh


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I edited this chapter and it got shorter??

Lance stood in front of his physics class nerves having gotten the best of him, what if Keith didn't really want to be friends? The thought stayed in his head.  
He was now 30 minutes late for class and decided that his education shouldn't depend on another, Lance took a deep breath before, sliding open the door.  
Lance said a quick apology to the professor before making his way to his seat, noticing that mullet anywhere.  
Trying to keep his grin at bay lance takes his seat, and give a little wave to Keith before getting out his notebook out.  
After professor Coran had wrapped up the lesson lance began to pack up his notes, feeling someone poke his arm he made eye contact with Keith.

"I didn't get your number yesterday, I thought that since we're friends I should have it." Keith said looking a little nervous  
"Oh yeah, sure." Taking Keith phone from his loose grip "here ill put my number in." Lance put in his number with the name Lancelot.

To: Lancelot

You: :)

"And there. Now we are officially friends." Lance grins handing Keith's phone back

"Thanks." Keith says a smile growing on his face "do you wanna hang out or something? Me and a few other friends were gonna get pizza at the supposedly best place on campus." 

"I'd love to, but I can't." Lance says with a frown. "I have another class in about 20 minutes so..." he trailed off feeling awkward. 

"Ok how about this." Keith breaks the awkward silence "ill text you and we can get to know each other from there so there isnt the stress of personal confrontation. You don't really seem like the kind of person that likes that."

"Wow thats very....Observant- of you...and yeah I'd prefer text." Lance said scratching the back of his neck "text you later than?"   
"Definitely!" Keith said his grin growing wider than he thought possible.

~

To: Keith :)

You: uh hey

Keith: HEY! I wasn't expecting to hear from you until the evening lol

You: sorry my professor let us out early, so I decided to say hi.  
There was something you wanted to play so we could get to know each other right?

Keith: Yes, we could do 20 questions :00  
I thought It would be a good start!

You: yeah sounds good  
Did you want to start or..?

Keith: yeah ill start lol  
Do you have a favorite movie? 

You: EVER DISNEY MOVIE IS MY FAVORITE.

Keith: omg I love Disney. Annnd its your turn 

You: ok uhhh Oh what do you do for fun?

Keith: easy.  
I have a crippling addiction to video games lol

You: DUDE   
What games??

Keith: I play any fps game I can get my hands on as long as its pc, mostly overwatch.

You: Ive heard of overwatch, never really played it tho

Keith: listen here kiddo.  
At some point you. Need . To . Play . This. MASTERPIECE

You: ok ok, calm down there buddy. I will play this silly game of yours.  
On one condition ofc

Keith: ......I am very concerned

You: lol  
You watch every single disney movie I own with me.

Keith: wow i was scared for a sec  
Yeah I'll totally do that lmao  
Who wouldn't!

You: then its a deal :)

Keith: yup  
Ya know you're a lot more open and fun through text, 

~

Lance took in a sharp breath, he mentally begged Keith not to go further.

~

Keith: sorry did I offend you with that??  
I didn't mean anything by it :(  
You just seem like you have a lot of trouble in social situations..

You: I kinda do yeah...  
I haven't really talked to anyone as friends since high school, so i'm pretty rusty.

Keith: oh  
Well...now you have me to practice with :)))  
We can get you back on track in no time!!

You:...you'd do that for me?  
Even though i'm a rude mopey person??

Keith: uh ofc I would.  
We are friends now and friends help each other out in hard times.  
Or at least that's what my friend says

~

Lance put his face in his hands to muffle his screech. 

~

You: I really appreciate that man :)  
Ill see you in physics tomorrow.  
Goodnight.

Keith: night.

~

Keith sat up on his bunk bed and took a breath, a soft smile sweetening his sharp features.

"Pidge, Hunk tomorrow i'm inviting Lance over to play Overwatch with me so I want you guys not here." Pidge gives Keith a sour face  
"So you can get your gaaaay on??" She teases, tossing a walnut at him.

"Yes at gay and no at being gay on him. Hes just not much of a people person and I want him to get used to me before meeting you guys." Keith rests his chin on Pidge's head "so like can you guys go somewhere or something?" Keith asked them with puppy dog eyes  
Hunk looks at Keith with a smile "this is new. You thinking about others to this extent, but yeah we can go out. Right katie?" Hunk asks the short girl pointedly  
"Yeah yeah yeah."

"thanks guys- wait what do you mean this is new!? I am always considerate!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hohoho  
> Im.trying to have them be friends first but I can already sense the sexual tension in my writing  
> And ik all of the chapters are short but I mean im uploading frequently enough for it not to mattee


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was alot longer than expected

Lance stood in front of Keith's dorm nervously, he hadn't expected to be invited over so soon. He looked at the door, there were three lions messily glued on. A red, yellow and green ones, lance smiled softly looking at the red lion and thinking that one has to be Keith's.  
Closing his eyes tightly and gently knocked on the door,  
There was a crash followed by a gross thud. The door opened suddenly causing lance jump slightly, keith stood in the doorway his hair pulled up in a messy ponytail and he had bags under his eyes, like he had been asleep, he wore a loose t-shirt that seemed little too short almost like a crop top, with blue and white stripped bottoms.

"I-im sorry am I too early?? Because I can l-leave.." lance said looking at his feet  
"WHAT No!! I was just playing a game before you arrived and I didn't think you'd be so early so you startled me! Thats all!" He insisted begging with his eyes for lance to stay  
"I- ok...if you really insist." Lance mumbled looking at the pizza boxes in his hands "I uh bought some lunch for us, I didn't think you would have anything so..."  
"Oh my god. Thanks man! I haven't eaten since yesterday morning." He smiles widely at lance moving out of the way so he could enter.  
Lance looked around the room, it was like all the other dorms a bunk bed against the left wall but the room was slightly bigger. Obviously to accommodate an extra person whose bed was positioned under the window kind of like a large window seat.  
There was an ugly brown couch with a pool table positioned in front of it with two sets of keyboard and mouse on it, there were two monitors each connected to a different computer and a desk with an assortment of strange items and technology stuff stacked on it.  
"Set the food down on the floor and pick a pc, ill show you the ropes of overwatch." Keith sits down picking the set on the right of the table leaving a place ment for lance to sit, he looked up at lance noticing he was standing awkwardly and patted the spot next to him. "Come on sit, ill help you set up." Lance set the pizza on the bottom bunk (assuming it was keiths) and slowly took a seat next to the other boy.  
Keith looked at the tanned boy. He was much more decently dressed than himself, wearing a long sleeved grey shirt and jeans his hair even looked like it was combed through.  
"Ok so, you probably dont have an account so you'll be using my roommates account, hes a high level so you'll be up against good players right off the bat but dont worry because I got your back." He smiled encouragingly, as he logged him in to the account.

"BeafyBoi..? Dude..your friend is fukin weird." Lance says embarrassed to even play under the name

"Pfft, yeah thats my fault. I changed his username for his birthday." He snickered at the thought  
"Oh ok.."  
"So uh.. what character do you want to try?" He asked once the were in the practice range. lance moved the mouse over a character with purple skin  
"Widowmaker...a sniper, nice ill play her." Lance smiles slightly, the smile not going unnoticed by keith who grinned deciding to ignore his choice to be a filthy sniper.  
"Ok practice her for a bit and ill make us some tea or coffee for you?" "Ah yes coffee please." He says focused on the game, keith left to go into his dorms kichenet (bc Altea university had those in dorms, they fancy as Shit) and put on a pot of coffee. He made his tea and put slices of pizza on plates.  
Keith poured lances coffee and moved back out with the plates and cups nearly dropping everything when the speakers screamed sextuple kill.

"Oh hey! I think im getting the hang of it." Lance was grinning ear to ear, a sight keith would do anything to keep there.  
"Yeah you're a really good sniper, how are you so good?? I can barely get body shots haha." Keith hands lance his coffee and set down the pizza.

"Well my uncle, he took my shooting and hunting when my family would go visit cuba. I guess it just rubbed off on me." There was a sad smile as he told keith the story "And I was good at it too, ya know every time we went there was never a lack in game. We always brought back a big bore and a tonne of rabbits!" The excitement on his face made keith want to hear more, to just let him talk and talk.  
"I like it when you talk." Keith said leaning his face on the palm of his hand and a small smile played on his lips.

"D-dude dont just say stuff like that!" Lance said "y-you just have to say it and I'll stop," he was staring intensely at the screen, his thin eyebrows furrowed into a scowl

"Ay I was being serious! You never talk this much and...its nice." Keith says inviting lance to a group in game and starting the queue, not noticing the slight blush that dusted lances cheeks  
"I-I, being in crowds or just talking to people is hard." Lance explains

"Ah do you get anxiety attacks?" He questions lance innocently,  
"I um...yeah..." lance looks around the room, anywhere but at him and his beautiful eyes, he has never told anyone this much about himself in such a short time.

They spent hours after that playing the game. In complete silence, 

"Well I better go..Thanks for playing with me." Lance says dully. He didn't know how to act around someone who truly wanted to be friends and it scared him how close he was getting to this one person in the span of a few weeks. 

"Yeah probably, my roommates will be back soon anyway and im not sure if you want to meet new people just yet." Keith says scratching the back of his neck, and smiled doppily at lance "I have to watch every Disney movie you own with you now, don't forget."  
Lance nodded nervously and made his way to the door cautiously . He said goodbye to keith before leaving.

Lance stood in the hallway and sighed in relief. He did it....he made it through most a whole day with another person, and it was...Fun, lance smiled to himself 'He's a good friend.' he thougth to himself. with one final look at the door He turned to make his way out of the building only to bump into a large person who sent him flying to the ground.  
He groaned and looked up to see a short female in green and the large male in yellow.  
His eyes widened in shock, faces he had never expected to see again were now right in front of his eyes, and he was afraid.  
The girls eyes widened filling with tears, she know his face so well.  
As the tears in her eyes started to fall she choked out the name, the name lance dreaded to hear the most.  
"Mia.....?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ha whats editing


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance smiled at him thoughtfully, would he accept him

Pidge and hunk walked down the hallway having a speedy conversation about the science of cooking.  
"Cooking would not be a thing without science hunk! Its a fact!!" Pidge shrieked at the tall male  
"Uh a fact that is WRONG.!" Hunk retorted with a huff.  
"Oh my gOD. I cant believe you just insulted my FACTS YOU HEATHEN"   
"Pfft you get mad too easy pidge," Hunk laughed, his expression turned thoughtful for a moment  "I wonder if Keith is using his gay on the friend of his he can't stop talking about." he looked at Pidge with a shit eating grin "If we hurry we could 'accidentally' meet this new friend of his." A mischievous twinkle in his eye,  
"I like the way you think my friend." The both started to move faster, hunk staying in front of Pidge so the could maneuver through the crowded dorm halls easier. Pidge bumped into hunks back when he stopped abruptly.  
She rubbed nose annoyed "dude what the fuck-" her words died on her tongue when she saw what had caused the stop, her eyes met the bright blue ones of the gorgeous person who was sitting on the floor. Pidge examined their features trying to find what made them familiar, then a name she hadn't heard or said in years came off of the tip of her tongue and she felt tears spill over her cheeks. When had she started crying?

"Mía..." she felt her legs turn to jelly and fell to her knees with hunk going down with her, the same hurt expression on his face and tears flowing.

"I-Its Lance now..." a voice said, it took a moment for them both to realize where it had come from 

"I-I don't understand..." pidge crawled slowly to the person sitting a meter away, and reached her hand to their face. They flinched away fear in their eyes, but didn't pull away from her.  
"Is it really you?" Her voice shook and new tears started pouring down her face when they gave a smal hesitant nod.  
Hunk got up slowly from watching the scene, he was in shock and beyond overwhelmed, but they couldn't talk in these crowded hall so he forced the two to their feet and shoved them into the dorm.

"Whoa Hunk whats going on??" Keith demanded standing from where he sat on the couch, he noticed the tears on everyone's faces. He met eyes with lance who just looked away with an ashamed expression, only confusing him more. but hunk just shook his head  
"Buddy this is something between the three of us for now, please will you give us a minute." It wasn't a question and Keith was about to protest until he saw the sad look in everyones eyes. He nodded and quickly left the room 

"I demand you give us an explanation." Hunks tone was serious, and it caused lance to jump. 

"I-i don't-"

"NO! You will tell us why you disappeared! Because we're not going to just stand here and guess, after all those years...we were best friends- you owe us this." He was furious and it scared lance beyond anything "Spill."

"I...I was scared." Lance mumbled looking at his hands "As you can probably tell, i'm not exactly who I used to be." He said with a bitter laugh "back in high school, I figured it out. Why I felt so different and out of place, its because of this!" He gestures to himself, there was a distant hate In his eyes "And I was too scared to tell you guys...so, I left. I ran away like a coward!" The tears had started to flow again, tortured by past memories, "and that's it, I figured you'd all hate me for what I was. Even though I know, I know. You guys would never. But guess I was just running away, and I took it out on you" they had never seen so much shame and sadness on lances face before "I'm sorry that I was a coward. I didn't deserve your kindness that and I most certainly don't now-" lance was cut of but a quick slap to the face, startled he put his hand to the now forming bruise and looked at pidge in shock. Had she just...?

"don't you dare....make excuses." Pidge was on the floor in front of him, her head down and tears pouring. She looked up at lance with a snotty nose and tears the size of beans coming from her eyes.  
Lance was taken back the moment she lurched forward, wrapping her small arms around his waist hunk fell next to them all anger forgotten and joined the hug  
"Its so good to see you buddy.." hunk sobbed into lances shoulder, while pidge clung onto his waist like her life depended on it and let a small sniff every now and then.  
The three of them sat there on the floor in that dog pile, lance opened up and told then about all the terrible things that happened after he left, and how much he regretted it every day after.   
they filled him in on what he'd missed and how they met Keith, how they had helped him through his tough times making him the man he is today.  
After what seemed like hour of them catching up and unknowingly refreshing the bond they all shared, there was a knock at the door.  
Pidge got up and let Keith in, it had in fact been hours since he left and the worried expression on his face softens as he looks at lance, seeing that he is okay.

"Hey..what happened with you guys?" Keith asks pidge breaking his eye contact with lance to question the short girl.

"It's not really my place to say, lance will tell you when...HE is ready." The emphasis on the word he had Keith confused, but he just said goodnight to lance and walked him to the door.  
"I uh guess I'll see you in physics on Monday?" He asked Keith with a still present worry in his eyes

Lance smiled at him thoughtfully, would he accept him like pidge and hunk had? He thought and decided  
"Yeah ill, uh see you there. And I will tell you, just not now."


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ik its short  
> But eh

Lance closed the door to his room, his heart felt like to was going to explode out of his chest as he thought of the events that had transpired a mere 10 minutes ago. he breathed out a sigh that turned into more of a sob, he was doing everything in his power to keep himself together, but he could stop himself from breaking down.  
He hadn't realized when he had ended up on the floor, but he was now curled up against the  door of his dorm, knees to his chest and the palms of his hands digging into his eyes to stop the rush of tears that were threatening to spill.

"God I'm a mess." The sobbed words fell flat, and hung empty in the musty air of his lonely, lonely dorm. but since as there was no one there with him to hear it, he was free to let it all out. the day he was re united with his friends, A day he thought would never come, and it felt like nothing had changed...they had excepted him right away, or that's how it seemed. Maybe he would wake up the next day and his life would go back to the misery, like today had never happened and he had never bonded with Keith or seen those two again. Lance's breathing became restricted, like a snake was wrapping itself around his chest, going for the kill.  
He scrambled up and ripped off his shirt to get at the binder underneath. With panicked swallowed breaths as he squeezed out of the thing. Lance sat back on his twin sized bed, and breathed deep, catching back the breath that was stolen. He looked at himself in the full standing mirror on the opposite wall 'God what a fucking mess' he thought to himself sourly, all that he was able to see in that mirror a face too feminine, hips too wide, chest still too big. He angrily got up and turned the mirror around, disgusted by his own appearance he turned the mirror with more force than necessary most likely causing the glass to crack, but he didn't care. Throwing on a baggy t-shirt and sweater he threw himself on his bed, and cried. cried about all the bad thing, and the good. because the good thing hurt just as much.  
"I never should have left.." He murmurered into his knees as he had once again found himself curled up. They were too good for him, they always had and always will be, but knowing those two, despite the negative thoughts in his head lance knew that there was no way that they would just let him go. The trio of Pidge, Hunk and Keith will do everything they can to keep him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Keith looked back at his oldest friends with a deep worry embedded in his eye's,  
"Why didn't you tell me you knew him?" He asked in a voice just above a whisper, he felt like he had been lied to, betrayed even by the people he loved most in his life and both of those people could see that on his face.   
"We didn't know.." it was Hunk who finally spoke up "back in high school..they went by a different name." hunk looked at the carpet "a different person.." Keith looked at the two and signed  
"Stop acting so sad, I'm not made. I swear." He pledged putting a hand over his heart trying to lighten their moods  
"Its okay keith its not you, you don't have to try and cheer us up." Pidge said, standing from where she was situated on the floor. "Just-I I want you to be there for him. Please whatever you do just be there, because we weren't and he doesn't deserve that..." the shorter girls neutral persona cracked for a moment, revealing true pain. Keith flinched but nodded, the look of surprise on Keith's face was a brief one, getting replaced with a soft look of understanding "alright Pidge. Ill try my best."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I need ideas for the future of the fic haaalp


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things be getting spicy

From: unknown

Hey lance its pidge, I got your number from Keith.

To: Pidge.

Oh hey..I don't know a pidge?

From: Pidge.  
Oh right, its Katie but I go by pidge now.  
So me and hunk were talking and thought that ya know,

We should hang out. Just the three of us and catch up properly

How about it?

To: Pidge.

I don't remember you being this kind and considerate haha....

I- I'd like that.

From: Pidge <3

Ha don't get used to it scrub

Cool you could come around today.   
I know you only have one class and its in the morning so come around 2 pm

Keith leaves for his evening / night classes around then and doesn't get back till late so you should be fine

To: Pidge <3

Did you hack the school network to get that info??

From: Pidge <3

Is that even a question

___  
Lance smiles at his phone. It had been years since he'd been involved in her antics, but the interaction semi solidified his reality that they were here to stay, as he had expected and he was excepted.

With a sigh lance pulled himself from under his covers, having gotten the motivation to pull through the depression, he decided to get ready for the day.  
He stumbled into his bathroom to get ready for the morning, he had been putting off his facial routine so his skin was oily with a few pimples across his face. He groaned, he would have to go all out today to make his skin clear again.

Once he had finished his routine and given himself his shot before dragging himself out his room in clothes that probably needed a wash. Lance made his way to his first morning class and only class of the day, Physics. The only day time class Keith has and its with him, lance sighs and jerks open the door to his lecture hall and immediately spots Keith sitting in their corner, Keith sees lance and perks up waving rapidly and gesturing for lance to come next to him.  
Lance chuckles at his antics and makes his way over to the seat next to Keith.

"Hey Keith, I had the feeling you wanted me to sit here?" Lance said putting on his confidence   
Keith chuckled "jeez what gave it away??" He said, Keith looked at lance closely for a moment, his expression going serious "So, are you...alright?" Keith looked lance in the eyes "its just, yesterday i saw the look in your eyes, and you didn't look okay. I just want to make sure.." he looked away from lance.

"I- " lance sighed "I'm fine for the time being, not completely okay, but then who is?"

Keith's expression shifted away from worry and he smiled at lance softly "yeah you got me there...i just really don't like to see you this upset" Keith sighed  

"well I'm not always upset so-" Keith cut him off

"No that's a lie, and you know it." lances confident persona crumbled leaving him staring blankly at Keith, he was in class he could break down. Not now. So he held on to that little bit of calm   
"I-I don't know what you mean..." He said shakily refusing to look at Keith.   
Keith looked at lance with narrowed eye and brought his hands up and smooshed lances cheeks.  
"Your smiles never reach your eyes." He said in a sad voice  
"Ell tats bery obsrbant ob yew." Lance mumbled out not able to correctly form words due to smooshing.  
"Oh sorry about that!" Keith exclaims taking his hand off lances cheeks "i guess im already too invested in you" he laughed nervously , lance's expression grew dark, his confident persona shattered so easily but just a few words from the pretty boy in front of him.  
"Well you shouldn't." he spat, glaring down at him "im nowhere near as worht that investment as you think i am " Lance looks away from keith, turning himself away and facing in the direction of professor Coran. The rest of the lecture went in silence for the two men.

________________________________________

Keith sat in silence after lances outburst, he hadn't ment to offend his new friend. And yet there he sat in awkward silence with a fuming lance by his side.

Once class had finished keith went back to his empty dorm and sat down on his bottom bunk with a sigh.  
He'd really done it, blew his chance at a good friendship.  
Keith lays on his back and looks up At the bottom of the top bunk,  
Hunks bed.   
Keith glares at it, thinking of all the things that he and pidge aren't telling him. He signs and rolls off of his bed, landing on his hands and knees like a cat, he stands and paces the room, he doesn't know how to fix it. If only he hadn't been so nosy!  
Keith takes out his phone and messages lance a quick apology

To: Lancy Lance <3  
Hey...  
Im really sorry about earlier in class :(  
I was way out of line..

From: Lancy Lance <3

No its ok, im just a bit off this week. I dont know what came over me  
You were just worried.. and I blew up at you.

To: Lancy Lance <3

Well im mean if you're the one apologizing nowi guess I take mine back ;)

\---  
"Really keith? Taking it back.?? God I suck at this." Keith face plams  
\---

From: Lancy Lance <3

Well I guess I deserve that for treating you so badly...  
Its ok if you don't want to be friends any more..

To: Lancy Lance <3

OMG LQMCE NO   
I was Kidding ;_;  
Ofc I wanna be friends... I wouldn't have invited you for overwatch if I didn't like you :)

\---

"Nailed it."  
\---

From: Lancy Lance <3

Are..you sure?   
Ive been horrible to you..

To: Lancy Lance <3

Ofc I do youre a really cool guy and I cant wait to learn more about you and..

Im more than willing to wait for your explanation.

From: Lancy Lance <3

Thank you keith

It means a lot to find a friend who really cares.

To: Lancy Lance <3

Well I need to head off to my night classes so  
Talk later?

From: Lancy Lance <3

Definitely :)

\----

Lance once again finds himself smiling at his phone, just another hour and he meets with pidge and Hunk.  
He'll have to spill the beans and tell them every detail about what happened after he left. And he knows it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SUSPENSE


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Probably the longest chapter ive done tbh

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot thickens  
> Also thanks for 869 hits  
> Heheh  
> You guys are great and the feedback is awesome :))  
> So thank you all for the comments and kudos  
> I do art for this fic over on the klance and voltron amino under Curiousdeath  
> Check it out :0

Lance stood in front of pidge and hunks dorm nervously, he always seemed to find himself in these situations, always outside looking in, begging to be let in. Taking a deep breath lance knocks gently on the door, for it to be ripped open and him dragged inside with a yelp.

"Jesus christ you scared the shit out of me!" Lance states with an annoyed composure,  
"Yeah well im excited!" Pidge exclaimed "I have seen you in so long. And you missed so much the I have to fill you in on." Pidge crossed her arms and stared at lance. Sizing him up and getting a proper look.

"Uh...is there something on my face?" Lance asked, uncomfortable under her gaze

"No I was just thinking, you look good. Im proud of you for taking that step to control your life." Pidge smiled sadly at him "though I wished you'd done it while you were still with us."  
Lance looked at his feet in shame with his shoulders hunched to his ears  
"Theres not a day that goes by where I don't regret that choice...a-anyway, wheres hunk?" He asked quickly changing the subject, pidge looked at him having gotten the hint and plays along

"Yeah he couldn't make it, his professor is making him stay in for the rest of the day to finish his essays." She explained simply "but he said it would be good for us to catch up one on one." Pidge pulled lance by the hand and sat him down on her small widow seat / bed.  
"So tell me every detail you left out since last time." Pidge said her eyes gleaming

"Well it all started at the end of freshman year."

\----flash back story from female lance pov---

Miá stood infront of her full standing mirror, there was something off. But she just couldn't put her finger on it. As Miá dressed for the day in her uncomfortably feminine clothing,( a frilly pink crop top and jean booty shorts) that nagging feeling of something being wrong with this whole scenario tugged at the edges of her mind. The idea there but out of reach. She shrugged it off like she had done, every day since she could remember.  
The Cuban girl made her way down stairs and into the small messy dinning room which had toys and dirty plates and cups littered everywhere, Miá's older sister was sitting at the table with her little brother, of the age of 3 in a high chair, too busy feeding the boy to notice her.

"Buenos días mamí," Miá said planting a kiss on her mothers cheek.

"Ah, Buenos días cariño." Rosa smiled brightly at her daughter "El desayuno está sobre la mesa." The older women said pointing to the table, Miá thanked her mother after she ate her breakfast and headed out to school.

At school Miá closed her locker having gotten the book she'd need for her first period class that day, and headed over to where katie and hunk would be waiting for her.

"Hey guys." She greeted her best friends

"Oh hey, check this out!" Katie said excitedly gesturing to two nic nacs that she and hunk had crowded around.  
"This is a ticker. Hunk says is from an island near Hawaii that measures time different and he thinks ticks are longer than seconds." Pidge explained the situation .  
"So what you mean is." She paused for dramatic effect "you're having a clock party.?" The question made hunk frown

"Uh no no, this is a battle of time and it is Very serious." He said matter of factually

"Uh huh." Miá waved him off and sat down on the bench inbetween the two of them, interrupting their little 'time battle' completely.  
"You sit like a dude Miá." Katies statement made Miá sit up straight, because of the feeling of joy swept through her at being called masculine.  
Feeling extremely confused and scared of this new feeling of that final piece of the puzzle being fill, Miá grew angry and defensive. "You're wear booty shorts you really shouldn't." Katie continues having not noticed the sudden change in Miá's persona.  
"You don't know what you're talking about, just because you're some genius doesn't give you the right to berate me." Miá snarled at the smaller girl  
"I-" katie was cut off  
"No! Just forget it!" Miá stormed off leaving katie extremely concerned and hunk scared at her sudden and unwarranted outburst.

_____

Miá sat in a bathroom stall with her knees tucked up to her chest, she had been there for almost an hour most certainly having missed first period.  
Miá let out a sigh, she should've seen this terrible turn of events coming, that missing piece. The things that ruins everything, her friendships, confidence...And even family. And the more she thought about it the more sense it made, Miá had never wanted to wear frilly girl things, she always found herself lingering in the men's section of clothing stores and she never wanted to have long hair.  
Everything just...clicked.  
Miá was never supposed to be a she.  
"This cant be happening..." Miá sobbed into their knees "everything will be ruined...katie, even hunk...I bet they'll turn on me.." they said to themselves as sobbs wracked their body  
"W-what will mamí think??" They started to panic "This will break her heart.." the sobs increased, filling the bathroom with mournful wails.

______

Pidge and Hunk were in shock for the rest of that day, as they watch Miá go out of her way to avoid them.  
Pidge went home that night with tears in her eyes, her best friend was avoiding her for a small comment, and refused to give explanation.  
Pidge sighed in frustration, why was the girl she'd been friends with since dipers just suddenly....avoiding her..?

______

That night Miá got home and went straight to her room giving her mother a sad smile before closing her door. Miá sighed as she packed a bag, knowing full well that mother would not except her.  
Miá sat in her room and thought everything through, they thought about what they were and if it was eveb real. And the answer was yes Miá was transgender...no matter how much, He hated it.

That morning Miá stood his ground infront of his mother, wearing baggy jeans that he had gotten from his older brother and a sweater that was two sizes too big, and stated the fact that would change his life and how his family thought of him.

"Mamí Tengo algo que decirte, Yo soy transgender..." Miá look his mother in the eye as her face dropped and a look of confusion crossed her aging features, tainting her motherly look "Mi nombre no es Miá, es Lance ahora...mother we are doing this in English" Lance said to his mother who looked at him in shock

"Dont be silly darling, its a phase." Rosa stated firmly, daring her son to talk back

The corner of lance's mouth tugged down in a frown "mamí..it isn't.." Lance insisted "it is who I am."

"Sweetie I do not understand.." rosa said. "You are my girl, and you will stay that way."

"No-" rosa cut him off

No Child of mine will commit such sins!" The woman hissed. Lances expression darkened into sadness and anger, he had known this would happen, but that didn't mean it hurt any less

"Then I guess...im not fit to be your child any longer.." lance looked away from his mother, refusing to meet her pleading gaze

"Miá pleas-"

"My Name Is Lance!" He snarled at his mother, the small woman stumbled back, dropping the plate she'd been holding.  Rosa straightened  herself and looked lance in the eye

"So be it." She said curtly "I expect you out of my home by sundown." Lance sucked in a sharp breath and turned his back on his mother

"Fine."

___________

Lance sat on his bed glaring at a family picture in his hands, his eyes tracing over one individual. Tia Maria, she had lived with them all lances life...until she had come put as lesbian. Lance loved her, she'd always been the kindest to him.  
The Cuban boy sighed sadly before picking up his phone and dialling the number he'd almost been forced to forget.

The lined buzzed for a moment before ringing twice, when the voice of a sweet woman met lances ears

"Hello?" The voice was unmistakable, the heavy cuban accent and honey tone of Tia Maria. A small smile played on lances lips as he replied

"Hello Tia... its so good to hear your voice." Lance heard a gasp from the line

"Miá? Irs good to hear from you too!" Maria said gleefully "might I ask why you have called?" 

"See thats the thing...my name is lance, I came out as transgender to mamí today.." lance sighed

"Oh no...darling, what did she do?" 

______

Lance got into Tia Marias car in silence, not looking her in the eye. Only watching as his childhood home disappeared into the horizon along with his three siblings that stood outside with his mother, each looking very sad to see him go.  
Except for Rosa, who looked glade like a pest was being removed from her home. And that. That hurt, more than words could describe.

And so began his journey into the unknown, leaving behind everything he had every known, his friends without saying a word. To live with a woman and her wife whom he barely knows, but it was a risk, and ine he was willing to take.

_end flash back story telling thingy_

Lance looked up at pidge who had tears in her eyes.

"Are..you ok..?" He asked with a worried look in his eyes

"I....I....aghhh" she attempted to speak but is came out as a strangled noise "aghhh!!" Pidge face planted herself in lances lap and cried softly

"Ahaha, its ok Pidge...everything is fine now that im with you guys again" lance chuckled as pidge made another strangled noise into his leg

"Are you sure you're ok.." pidge asked when she finally sat up, wiping her snot on lances sweater sleeve, getting a displeased look from him

"Other than the snot on my clothing" he gives her a pointed look "and crippling depression, yeah im good."

Pidge slapped his arm "dont joke about that.."

"Now, now. Who said I was joking?" His voice cracks and lance joins pidge in the crying.  
They hold each other for a long time, crying over shared memories and laughing at the good times that used to be.  
And that will hopefully start once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did this note before I finished the chapter so Idk what happened but  
> HA  
> get rickityrektson.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Its ya boi in booty shorts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longest chapter  
> I have ever done  
> Hope yall like it <3

Keith packed up his notes from his last lecture of the evening, he couldn't wait to get home. And it would be lights out.

"Hey keith~" a guy named lotor sauntered up behind him and snaked an arm around keiths waist, "a few of my pals are goin for a drink tonight, thought you might want to join." He purred giving keith a wink. Keith signed in annoyance and peeled himself away from lotor,  
"Sorry but im not really into parties." He said bluntly while walking away from the white haired man   
"Oh always the book worm~. Darling have some fun now and again!" Lotor said dramatically putting his hand on his heart.  
Keith turned to lotor an annoyed expression stapled on his face "look man I already said no, so if you'll excuse me im going to my dorm." And with that keith stalked away leaving lotor in his dust.

_________

Keith quietly opened the door to his dorm room (which seemed more like an apartment), as to not disturb any of his probably sleeping roommates, he slipped off his shoes and noticed a pair of blue And white sneakers. Ones that he didn't recognize, he wondered if hunk or Pidge had anyone over but quickly assumed that one of them just got new shoes.  
Keith turned on the lights of the kitchenette, which was enough light to illuminate the rest of the dorm in a soft glow.   
Enough for him to notice two figures curled up on Pidge's 'bed'  
Curious he went to investigate, only for it to be lance and pidge, sleeping in each others arms.  
Keith couldn't help the pang of jealousy that cut his heart at the sight, but he pushed that feeling down and covered the two in a blanket from hunks bed (because lets face it he has too many),   
Keith sighed and turned the light off in the kitchenette and blindly made his way over to the bunk. And the moment his head hit the pillow it was, Lights out.

________

Lance groaned as at least three alarms went off at the same time, he sat up and distangle himself from pidge. He hadn't ment to stay the night, he looked around the room to try and locate the direction of which the alarms were coming from slightly annoyed that no one was woken up by them.  
A groan from hunks side of the room startled him when a figure with fluffy black hair shot out of the bottom bunk and turned the alarm off that was apparently on the kitchen counter. With a glare the person turned around and froze at the sight of a disheveled lance looking at him sleepily.  
"Oh uh, Lance! Hi. You're up" Keith exclaims nervously looking down at himself in his unpresentable appearance. "I didn't realize you were such a light sleeper.."

"Oh hey keith...KEITH OH MY GOD!" Lance scrambled up from Pidge's 'bed' and stood up, anxiously twirling his longish hair between his fingers "I didn't mean to fall asleep..haha.." he wouldn't look keith in the eye's.

"Oh its ok dude, relax." Keith chuckled "so are you two like, a thing or..?" He gestures to pidge who was still sleeping like the dead, keith didn't know why the thought made his stomach twist painfully.  
Lance's eyes widened in surprise, all previous anxiety and fear left his eyes as he smiled widely, his eyes wrinkling at the corners. "Whaat?? God no!" He laughed "we're just really old friends, we caught up yesterday and fell asleep. Besides im not really into her kind." Lance continued cackling at the ridiculous thought of ever dating pidge. Keith stood there gaping at lance, like he'd grown another head.   
Keith had never seen lance smile like that, let alone laugh...  
Lance noticed keiths staring and quieted down "i-is there a problem with that..?" Lance asked mistaking keiths silence for judgment   
"Oh what? No of course not!" Keith Said waving his hands out in front of him in defense "I was just shocked, I've never heard you laugh before.."-

"Good lord will you two shut up!" Pidge yelled at the two, throwing her pillow at them "just make out already and shut the hell up!" Lance turned bright red. Visibr even through his darker skin, keith groans. His face also getting visibly red  
"PIDGE!" Keith said, still red in the face and refused to look at lance,   
The girl cackled before returning under the blanket to continue her slumber.

"So uh...we have physics together soon so...you could hang here and ill let you borrow the shower and some clothes so you don't smell like gym." Keith said lowering his voice to a whisper as not to enforce the wrath of pidge  
"Oh uh. Sure...but I have a specific facial routine.." lance muttered, trying to make a good excuse to get out of it   
"Oh you dont need to worry about that, I have a tone of different products in there." Keith say cheerily "you can just pick the ones you use and set them aside for when you stay with us." Lances face dropped slightly but covered it quickly with a small smile  
"Th-thanks.." lance mumbled "you should really do something about your mullet though dude."  
"Mullet??" Keith asked, shocked "its not a mullet. My fringe is too long for it to be a mullet." He stated, getting slightly annoyed   
Lance raised his hands in defeat but a shit eating grin was plastered on his face, having found what makes keith tic   
"Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to make you question your life choices." Keith growled at the tanned male and threw a towel at his face "Oh what ever. Just take a shower you smell like ass and BO." He said in mock anger, pointing towards the bathroom. "Ill throw you some clothes to borrow in a minute." And with that he turn and started digging through the shared closet of the three.  
"Thanks man.." lance smiled softly at keith and closed the bathroom door behind him (a/n s3 reference) .  
Lance sighed in relief, having gotten through that interaction drained more out of him then he'd thought, lance locked the door to the bathroom door behind him

__

When lance closed the bathroom door keith turned back into his closet and frowned, everything was dirty except a pair of old pj shorts and a t-shirt that was too big for him.  
"Wow, already letting him use our bathroom AND your skin care stuff??" Pidge said in sarcasm "It must be love." Keith snorted and looked back at the small woman  
"Says you, you guys were practically spooning when I got back last night."

"Eh, id never be interested in him." Pidge said getting serious for a moment "he's like a sis-brother, He's like a brother to me. And no amount of time apart can change that." Keith looked at pidge, baffled by her sincereness, and warmed by her loyalty   
"So I take it you guys haven't spoken in awhile?" He asked cautiously  
"Yeah..you could say that." The girl picked her large round glasses up from the floor and carefully put them on before looking at keith again.  
"He disappeared suddenly, about a month before you arrived..so you never would have know or heard about him." She trailed off, looking into the distance like she was remembering something. "I, didn't know why he left without saying anything. It was just one day he was there, and the next...it was like he vanished off the face of the earth. Of course its not my place to tell you why he decided to do what he did, just know that now that hes back I would do anything for that boy. And if you hurt him, mark my words you will regret it." Pidge stood from her spot on her widow bed and stood nose to nose with keith (a/n pidge is almost as tall as keith in this, and keith is 3 inches shorter than lance).  
"I do not care that you are one of my closest friends, I will hurt you."

Keith took a step back and rose his hand in defense "alright, alright chiiill." Keith met Pidge's gaze "I would never hurt him, I may bot know him well, but I want to so I will do everything in my power to keep him here with you. With all of us." Keith smiles at pidge softly "I promise."  
Pidge looked at keith for a second and smiled, before pulling him into a hug.  
"Thank you keith." Keith chuckled and hugged her back  
"Anything for my favorite gremlin." Pidge smacked Keith upside the head for that one before sitting at her desk and tinkering with forgotten projects

Keith went back to the closet and pulled out the only clean clothes before making his way to the bathroom. He knocked on the door, "Hey, uh lance. I got you some clothes." Keith called through the door  
"Oh! Uh yeah just a sec!" Lance called back. The door opened a crack and a tanned hand peaked out, waiting to be handed the clothes, which keith obligated by putting them in his hand, their hands brushed slightly causing keiths heart to flip.  
Lance pulled his hand back in and called a thanks and closed the door again.  
Keith put his hand to his chest and whispered to himself "jesus, im too gay for this." He did I silent prayer.   
His quiet words causing pidge to cackle from her desk on the otger side of the room.  
"Shut it gremlin."

____

 

Lance looked at the clothes thatbhe had been given by keith and took a moment to look at himself, allowing some vanity to seep through.  
"Damn...I'm hot." Lance posed in Front of the mirror and did finger guns at himself. He hadn't worn shorts in ages and frankly, it felt good, it showed off his long slender legs better than the slightly baggy jeans he usually wears.  
Lance sighed as he squeezed into his binder and pulled on the baggy t-shirt before cautiously leaving the bathroom.  
Keith looked up from his seat on the couch where he was playing overwatch, his eyes widened at the sight of lance.  
"Uh..is there something on my face..?" Lance asked playfully, with a hint of fear in his eyes, keith stared at lance for a moment longer, his eyes trailing subtlety over lances body. He couldn't help but notice his long slender legs, broad shoulders matched with slim but feminine hips.  
"Oh uh...No, I was just thinking you look like less shit." Keith said, slightly awkward.  
"Smoooooth." Pidge called from her desk at the other side of the room. Lance laughed, a real laugh, before taking a seat next to keith and leaned on the arm rest, staring at pidge thoughtfully.  
"You got tall huh, pidge." Pidge looked at lance with a questioning expression before giving in  
"Yeah, Im almost 5'9."   
"EHHH?? Dude! Im 6 ft so you're almost as tall as me!!" Pidge chuckled   
"Its actually keith whos closest to your height, hes 5'11." Keith looked up from his game at the mention of his name and gave them both a confused look  
"I what..?" Lance popped up in Front of his face  
"I thought you were taller than me," lance said "but I guess im actually really tall."  
"Pfft, no hunks tall, but you're close I guess." Keith laughed when he came back to his senses, when had their faces gotten so close..?  
Lan e blinked and pull himself away, a slight blush tinting his face.  
He huffed and crossed his arms "hunk doesnt count, he's not human." Keith snorted and turned back to his game, actively trying to ignore lance and all he questioning and fight picking.  
Pidge looked at the two bickering like an old married couple and sighed quietly to herself.  
This was going to be a long 4 years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Art for this fic will be posted on the klance and voltron amino  
> My username is Curiousdeath :)


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this too ages, I decided to cut. Down the chapter in two parts so it doesnt take too long to post

The air around Altea university grew cold as the seasons changed to from the dry hot summer to a frosted winter, the trees leaves died and fell to the ground and snow coated the  their branches while the ground was a thick white blanket.  
Lance breathed a sigh, watching as his breath came out as a white cloud in front of his face, he wrinkled his nose and made his way through the main court yard.  
It had been months since he joined the university and had been reunited with his friends, as well as made another.  
Lance passed by his dorm house RA Allura  
"Ah, Lance." Allura greeted him cheerfully "its good to see you, haven't really had the chance to get to know each other."  
The cuban boy smiled kindly at the older woman "hey yeah it's good to see you too, sorry we really haven't been able to talk. I'm not really a people person." Lance explained apologeticly "but hey, uh we can get coffee later and chat?" Allura blinked at lance in shock before brightening immediately and gave lance a blinding smile  
"You've become more open recently haven't you? And Yes I would love to." Lance looked at the women with owlish eyes  
"I-uh.. yes, glad you noticed." And with that the two parted ways and lance carried on with his journey.  
Once the tall male made it to the opposite side of the campus he, entered the dorm building of his friends.   
Turning the corner he ran into the dorms RA, Shiro  
"Ah lance, I take it you are here for that study session?" Shiro asked with a small smile  
"Oh- uh yeah, pidge and hunk are helping me with my study on aerodynamics." Lance explained 

"Pidge and hunk don't take your class, why not have keith help?" Shiro questions, giving lance the dad look

"He will also be there, but he's working on his own study sooo" lance trailed off, looking behind shiro to see hunk next to the vending machine gesturing wildly for him to wrap it up with shiro "yeah I've really got to go, the friends are waiting." Lance slipped past the older man, giving him no time to reply before the boy had sprinted around the corner.  
The boy ran face first into hunks chest, getting knocked to the ground. Giving him an odd sense if de'ja'voo.

"Dude what the hell.." Lance huffed loudly and rubbed his forehead in pain and irritation. Hunk gave lance an apologetic look before quietly ushering him down the hall and into his dorm.

Pidge looked up from her bed, her expression turned to relief as she saw lance "oh thank god your here! I thought I was going to explode!" Pidge exclaimed, jumping from her bed and awakening Keith in the process whom was asleep in his bunk. Lance smiled nervously at the messy haired boy  
"Wha...what? Oh lance, hey." Keith said with a tired smile,  
"Good to see you mullet." Lance said with teasing eyes. He had gotten used to the idea of teasing his friends, much to their dismay.  
Keith burried his face back into his pillow and growled at lances  comment saying a muffled 'its not a mullet' causing lance to scoff as he took a seat on the sofa next to hunk.  
Lance draped himself over the larger man and stuck his tongue out at the black haired boy.  
"Ok, now that we are all here." Pidge said as she plopped herself on keiths bed, getting an annoyed groan before he sat up and glared at the three "It is time, for the ultimate MOVIE MARATHON." Pidge announced getting a loud cheer from lance and hunk, but a small whoop from keith who was dead on his feet.  
"Jeez keith, are ok?" Lance asked with a worried look. It had been months since lance had become friends with the boy, he'd like to think they were close- brothers even, but he has yet to tell keith the truth about himself.  This thought brought worry into lances mind that seemed to unconsciously affect Keith as well.  
"M'fine." Keith grumbled, looked away from the cuban boy with a scowl,  
Lance frowned at the other, all concern vanishes at his half response  
"Whatever, Mullet." He huffed, turning his back completely on the backel haired boy.  
Pidge looked at hunk with wide eyes, silently communicating her concern, hunk returns the look.  
"Hey come on guys, let's not fight. We are here to have a good time and watch disney." Hunk said, breaking the two boys out of their funk temporarily.  
"Sorry Hunk, didn't get much sleep." Keith said, sitting up from his bed and seating himself on hunks other side  
"Man I told you not to stay up! You know how you get when tired." Hunk exclaimed with an exasperated look

"I know, I know." Keith waved him off before looking to lance with an apologetic smile "Sorry dude, dont mind me." Lance looked at keith with wide nervous eyes 

"Oh I uh- its ok!." Lance chuckles stiffly "im not any better." 

"Well now that, thats sorted. We can finally start!" Pidge announced. the shorter girl leaped from Keith's bed to the pile of disney movies on the floor  
"Since the movies belong to lance, he gets to pick the first one we watch." Lance perked up from where he had leaned himself on Hunk

"ALLADIN!" The tanned boy shrieked

"Lol, should've known, you've always had a thing for guys with flowing black hair." Pidge chuckled, putting in the movie

Lances face grew red as he sputtered "I-I-I Do NoT." He argued, shoving his face into his hands in embarrassment

__________

Keith groaned and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, the dorm was dark, lit only by the blue screen of the monitor that sat infront of the couch.  
Keith lifted his head and peared blurrily to the floor to see Hunk and Pidge sprawled out surrounded by empty snack bags and soda bottles, keith sighed and and attempted to shift from the uncomfortable position he was twisted in on the couch that had caused half his body to lose circulation.  
Keith froze in his blind efforts when a soft groan sounded from against his chest, he looked down and could barely make out the figure of lance sleeping against his chest, their legs intertwined and lances arms wrapped loosely around keith back,

"Fuck." Keith whispered to himself as his face started to grow hot, How had they ended up in this position?? Keith thought to himself.  
Keith stiffly relented to lye still and not risk waking the taller boy, he settled back in the couch with a soft sigh, letting the confines of sleep take him once again  
.  
.  
.  
.  
.  
Lance groaned, burying his face deeper into the couch ?  
Something had woken the boy up, but he was too tired to figure out what.  
Lance took a deep painful breath, causing him to sit up in alarm- so thats whats wrong.  
The tall boy untangled himself from the whatever was on the coach with him, earning a displeased groan as the recipient started to wake.  
Panic. The first word the pops into lances head as he hears the mystery couch speak.  
"Lance..?" Keith said confused with drowsiness "are you alright?" Lance snapped his head to meet keiths gaze, nearly impossible in this dark. Now wide awake lance forced himself to stand from the couch  
"Im Fine." He wheezed barely able to breath. Lance slapped keiths worried hands away and made his way stiffly to the bathroom closing the door behind him. Locking it.  
Lance leaned against the door frame, catching his breath before squeezing out of his binder.  
Leaving the boy a light headed and gasping for air.  
Lance sat curled on the cold floor for who knows how long, gaining his bearings. He always ended up like this, Lance thought. No matter how much better he thought he'd become, he still relys on that thing to make him feel normal. He always ended up in the same pathetic position on the floor, he hated it.  
A soft knock on the door snapped lance out of his reverie of self loathing,  
"Hey lance..are you ok? You've been in there for ages." There was a twinge of nervousness in keiths muffled voice.  
Lance leaned his head back against the cold door and breathed a sigh,  
"Yeah...im ok." He croaked out. The tanned boy stood on shaky legs before unlocking the door and opening it a crack.  
"I just uh, I-I'm..." lance looked at keith with tired, lifeless eyes "I, it doesn't matter..." keith stood there stunned as lance gently pushed past him, taking his leave on the sofa.  
"G-goodnight then..." he said finally, making his way to his own bunk, ignoring how lonely it felt with just him.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long  
> I had my friend work as my editor so it got out faster :)

Pidge awoke to the day with a grin, light filtered through the dorms window, hitting the electronics on her desk just right to send a shimmering rainbow to dance across the naturally lit room.  
Everyone else was asleep, keith in his bed, hunk and herself had obviously been on the floor and lance laid peacefully on the sofa.  
Of course pidge remembered that both lance and keith had not slept separately that night //she took pictures\\\  
She snickered at the thought, making her way to the little kitchenette. They had watch nearly every movie lance owned before the boy had fallen asleep on Keith,who had passed out a few movies earlier.  
Pidge smiled thoughtfully at her friends, for so long it had been just her and hunk, later with the addition of keith. This had been hard, the two never really stopped thinking and caring about lance, they had put that pain to the back of there minds. Unseen, but never forgotten.  
Pidge stretched her arms above her head and yawned,  
"Guess its coffee time.." she said putting on the jug and making four cups,  
"Yo dipshits get up." She said as she nudged hunk awake with her foot. The larger man groaned , shifting from his uncomfortable position on the floor and looked up at pidge tiredly.  
"Hey pidge, you're up early." He yawned, pulling himself to his feet and taking a mug from pidge.

"Yeah well if not me then who." She said dryly, plopping herself on lances legs that were stretched across the sofa.  
"Uuuugh, piiiidge whyy." lance whined at the sudden awakening "and get off me, you've gotten fat- oof!." The shorter girl cut of his remark with a quick smack to the back of his head and growled at him.

"Oh so you dont want this black cuban styled coffee?" Lance glared at the girl for a moment

"Ugh! Sorry pidge.. you are the peak of style and beauty." Lance ground out, before taking the cup from Pidges grasp and sipping the best coffee he thinks he's ever had  
"Jesus pidge...this is amazing!" Lance exclaimed, pulling his legs from under the girl.

She smirked pushing her circular glasses futher up the bridge of her nose "well I am a barista at Starbucks." Lance looked at her in awe

"And you never told me?! We've been here months!" Lance exclaims with an exasperated look

Pidge sighed, pushing her glasses up her nose "I didn't want you guys demanding discounts like the poor college scum you are." Keith shifted in his bed, sitting up he glares at the girl  
(NICE BURN)

"Who you calling Scum??" Hunk snorted at keiths offended expression,  
Keiths eyes landed on lance, remembrance flickering briefly in his indigo eyes before smiling at him sleepily "morning lance." 

"Morning..." lance looked away from the black haired boy, guilt filling him to the brim. He hopee he wouldn't ask about last night.  
(Mmmmm dont like that)

"Is that coffee?" Keith asked eagerly, shifting his attention from lance to pidge who snorted, handing keith a cup.   
Keith sighed contently as he breathed in the sweet aroma of his brewed beverage, taking a sip he said "As good as always, little bird." Pidge huffed  
"I told you not to call me that." She said with a glare, amusement glittering in her eyes, 

Keith huffed slightly "I could always call you a gremlin.." he said innocently, receiving a proper glare from the girl, he ignored her and turned to face the group properly "so what are we doin today?" The group exchanged thoughtful looks, but after what seemed that decades passed before Pidge finally spoke up.

"Yeah I got nothing. Hunk. Lance?" The other two muttered in agreement, keith gave an exasperated sigh before pulling himself to his feet and placing his hands on his hip

"Well team, looks like we're going shopping!" He declared, receiving neutral looks from hunk and pidge but a confused one from lance

"But I dont need anything.." lance said , the confused expression still stapled to his features. Keith groaned, running his hands over his face in frustration

"Lance. I have literally only seen you wear two different outfits in our time here, both are ugly. So no you do need something and I will pick for you." Lance gave keith an odd look 

"O-okay..I guess thats ok...but I do get a choice right-"

"No." Keith said, cutting him off

______

The trip to the mall was a long one. The university of Altea was quite a distance from the city, so it took at least 30 minutes to arrive.  
Keith exited beaten up truck and breathed a thankful sigh, lance was slower, more hesitant to exit the vehicle. The cuban man hadn't been to a place like this since highschool, he usually just relied on his Tia for support.  
Lance stood by the car nervously, Hunk and Pidge had decided to stay at the dorm to finish some projects.   
Which left him and keith, alone.

_______

"Alright, shopping!" Keith says excitedly, not notching Lance isn't sharing his enthusiasm. He blushes as Keith lightly grabs his wrist and guides him straight into the first clothing store they see. 

He lets go once they're in there and Lance doesn't know if he's disappointed or not. He follows Keith around, feeling lost and self conscious as Keith is looking between him and certain clothes he's picking out.

"Here, try these on," Keith says eventually, handing Lance the pile he'd collected. 

"O-ok," Lance says, feeling a brief panic when he looks between the men's and women's changing places. He goes into the men's though, closing the door behind him and taking a huge breath of relief. Keith presence could be... a lot, sometimes. 

He faces away from the mirror as he changes, a little startled that Keith got all of his sizing right. He tries on a pair of black jeans and a generic white shirt first, turning around to look at the mirror a little reluctantly and finding... it isn't actually too bad, the clothes not looking weird on his body. He actually looks a lot more like a guy in them, and feels a sudden burst of confidence, self-indulgently striking a pose. 

"Are you down?" he jumps as Keith's voice startles him. 

"Only got the first things on," he replies. 

"Can I see?" Keith asks, sounding excited. Lance has an internal battle about whether he should, but opens up the door anyway, trying to hide his blush when Keith looks at him. 

"Hmmm," he says.

"What?" Lance asks, suddenly worried. 

"You don't suit white," is all Keith says before he takes off back into the store, and Lance stands there confused. The other teen returns quickly though, handing Lance practically the same shirt but in a gentle blue. 

"There," he smiles. "Try that."

Lance nods, closing the door again and stripping out of the white shirt. 

Keith is right. Lance feels like he does look better in blue, and the smile Keith has on his face when he shows him the blue makes his heart flutter. 

They leave the store with their bag of clothes, and Lance feels... at ease, which is surprising. 

"Wanna get something from the food court?" Keith asks him, and Lance smiles as he nods, but the smile disappears faster than a light being turned off when he sees someone he knows, standing a few metres away. 

Lotor. 

Lance feels himself beginning to shake, ignoring Keith stopping to look at him in concern. 

Lotor turns around, and when his eyes meet Lance's he feels all the air from his lungs disappear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prepare for some fucking angst next chapter


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which lotor is a prick

Keith paused and looked sidways at the tanned male. He seemed frozen in place, staring at something ahead.  
Keith furrowed his brows, looking in the direction lance is staring to see the image of a tall lean man with flowing white hair. Lotor.  
He looked back at the taller male with a confused yet concerned expression. His eye widened in shock as lance grabbed onto his bicep with a shaking hand, his vice like grip almost cutting off circulation.  
"L-lance are you ok?" Keith said, wincing slightly at the strong grip the man had on his arm.  
"N-n-never mind, I-i dont want you to waste your money on me, a-after all you just bought me all these clothes.." lance said fiddling with the end of his jersey, dragging keith away from the menace.  
Keith stumbled behind lance, briefly catching a glimpse of lotors shocked face, that turned to disgust a moment before he looked away.  
The black haired boy stared at the form of lance infront of him, his expression pinched into a worried frown.  
"Uh yeah...ok I guess we can eat back at the dorm- Dude! Slow down." Keith stopped, pulling lance to a halt along with him, "Lance are you ok? You seem a bit odd." Keith questions, with a worried look.  
Lance froze,  
"I-its nothing...really.  I just want to go home." Lance said, casting his eyes low, avoiding eye contact with the concerned male infront of him.  
Keith stared a moment longer before giving into the males request,  
"Ok..we'll go." He smiled, removing his hand from lances loosened grip.

The two made their way to the underground parkinglot slowly, keith going lances pace.  They made it to keiths oddly coloured pickup truck, and just as keith unlocked the doors a smooth voice called from behind them.  
"Ah, keith I didn't think id catchvyou in time." Lotor spoke with fake sincerity as he snaked his way up to the two men,  
The moment lance heard lotors slimy voice he froze, every muscle in his body telling him run to flee but those same muscles refusing to move an inch.  
Unaware to lance's struggles, keith turned to the snake with an annoyed huff  
"What do you want lotor? Im kinda busy." Lotor laughed, a sound that sounded like rotten honey to keiths ears  
"I just wanted to say hi to you and this....friend of yours," his expression shifted to a frosted glare when his eyes met the back of the shaking boys head but almost immediately taking its usual shape.  
Lances body jerked slightly at a sudden touch to his shoulder and the spun around, ready to fight. His eyes met Keith's soft lavender blue eyes and he relaxed slightly, before realizing lotor now had his predatory gaze locked with his own. Lance was unable to look away from the man, frozen in fear as lotor analyzed him curiously. Recognition sparked in his steal grey eyes.  
"So it really is you." He said, his voice dropping dangerously low "oh how you've ruined yourself-" he was cut off by Keiths demanding voice  
"Lotor what are you talking about? And get away from lance!" He said, trying to put himself between lance and the intruder, but lotor held his ground.  
"Lance?- What a terrible name youve chosen for yourself.." lotor breathed a disgusted sigh as he looked lance up and down with an even more disgusted look on his face.  
"You know Miá, you used to be a really hot  chick...but look at what you've done to yourself...such a shame." Lotor reaches a hand to brush hair from lances face, the tall boy tensed, shaking in fear of the man in Front of him,  
"Dont touch him!" Keith yells grabbing lotors hand and twisting it away from the petrified lance   
"Ooh keith darling, that actually hurt." Lotor pulled his hand to his chest in mock hurt "dont tell me you actually care about this abomination??" The question struck a chord with keith, causing his anger to flare.  
He reached for lotor, taking him by the collar "TAKE THAT THE FUCK BACK!" Keith snarled baring his teeth in lotors face  
"Oh. I see now." Lotor smirked at Keiths out burst "you like it dont you?"  
"You son of a bitch..." he practically grinds out "take back what you said about lance or so help me I will beat you to a bloody fucking pulp!" Keith threw lotor against the wall, almost lifting the taller man off of his feet.  
"Oh you're right." Lotor put a hand to his cheek and tilted his head "I guess you wouldn't want the monster to feel bad-" keith cut him off with a powerful punch to his jaw, causing his head to smack against the concrete wall behind him. Keith threw lotor to the ground at lances feet and straddle him throwing gard punches to his head and torso.  
"Keith.." Lance wimpered, barely auditable. Keith ignored lance  
"Keith." Lance said again, louder and more forceful, still getting ignored by keith who is too enraged to think clearly.  
"KEITH STOP...please..," lance shouted, shoving Keith off of lotor, who could do little to defend himself, ran the second keith was away. Lance sat on keith as he had done to lotor, pinning his arms down and waited for him to calm down.  
"Please...I cant handle it right now, so please...just stop and lets just go." Keith looked up at lance in shock, he had stopped him from possibly killing or at least maiming someone. There were massive tears pooling in his eyes, spilling over, they landed on keiths cheeks.   
Keith blinked up at the broken boy and his own heart broke.   
"I am so, so sorry lance..." keith sat up, lance got off of him a moved to curl up against the wall next to Keith "I am so sorry I lost myself like that, I guess im a bit of a temper.." Keith chuckled sourly, refusing to meet lances eyes "he just- he said such awful things about you a-and I- I just couldn't let that stand. Something just- snapped." Keith explained, putting his hand pn the sides of his head and curled into himself.  
"I..I get it keith," lance said quietly, putting a hand on Keith back comfortingly. "Wow, im here comforting you...yet I feel like im about to fall apart..." lance muttered body seezing up slightly as he sucked in air, barely able to keep himself together. Keith looked up a lance, he was shaking, going into a panicked state.   
"Hey, hey come on its ok, its ok." Keith moved to sit in Front of lance, panicking slightly as he knew what was happening.  
"I cant! I cant! I cant!  I CANT!" Lance ignored keith attempts to calm him, he clutched at the sides of his head forcefully, almost ripping out his own hair. He started rocking back and forth slamming his head against the concrete wall behind him.  
"Lance! Oh my god...what do I do, what do I do!" Keith panicked at the sick thud of lances head meeting the wall for a second time, as he hysterical repeated the words 'i can't'.  
Keith took lances face in his hands forcefully, successfully halting the harm being done and looked at his eyes, the were cloudy and detached. Lance was somewhere else in his head, too deep into his head.   
"Lance please, its ok everything is ok" keith rested his forehead on lances and let his tears fall. "Its ok I promise, I will never let anyone hurt you like that again. But please come back to me.." keith wrapped lance up in his arm, trying to settle the boys violent shaking  
The two sat like that for a long time before a croaky voice filled the silence

"Keith...?" The black haired boys head snapped to look at the tanned boy so fast he swore he'd gotten whiplash.  
"Lance!" Keith exclaims pulling lance closer to him than he already was "are you ok...?" He whispered. Lance who was a little shocked by the position that they were in, hesitantly wrapped his arms around keiths middle.   
"No..im Really not, but im better than I was before." He smiled sadly at keith "thank you for sticking around, and thank you for standing up for me like that." Keith looked up at lance a soft smile on his face.  
"You're welcome, but im just glad you're ok.." the two sat like that for awhile longer before lance spoke up again.  
"So I guess I have some explaining to do.."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I said angst didn't I?


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is sister

Lance sat in the passenger seat of keiths truck stiffly, doing everything in his power to focus on the pain ricocheting in his skull, instead of the man behind him and all the things he knew he must confess.  
"Lance you dont-" keith began only to be cut short by the rattled man beside him.  
"Yes keith I do. I do need to tell you, and I will- just give me a moment..." lance muttered , pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers in frustration with himself.

"Look, I left back in highschool for a reason. And you can probably guess after what lotor said but..." lance stopped for a second, and took a deep breath "I'm a trans guy.." lance looked at keith from the corner of his eye to see his reaction, part of him expected so see that same look of disgust that lotor bore in his eyes, the one his mother wore as well.  
Keith was staring intensely at the man beside him, there was no disgust or hate lance noticed. Just- curiosity and confusion..  
"I dont see it." Keith said at last, earning a bewildered look from lance  
"How could you not??" Lance exclaimed, absolutely flabbergasted by keith reaction.  
"You're just so- Man." Keith stated, gesturing to lances body, the confusion only growing in both keith and lances minds.  
"You think I look like a man?" Lance asked uncertainly, a grin barely suppressed masked by the shock of keiths statement.  
"Yes I do." He said, crossing his arms over his chest, glaring half heartedly at the giddy man beside him.  
Lances demeanor cooled as he looked at keith with a serious expression  
"Does this mean we're ok..?" He said, almost too quiet for keith to hear.  
Keiths expression softened as he smiled at lance.  
"Of course we are..you being trans doesn't change how I feel about you- as a person!" Keith stated, his voice cracking slightly.  
Lance, seemingly oblivious to keiths condition sighed contently, relaxing into the beat up seat if keiths truck.  
"Thats good to know.." he said looking at keith with his eyes half lidded and a soft yet sincere smile on his face. "Thank you keith. For everything, not just for standing up for me but for being my friend in the first place... I never would've gotten this far without you and the others." Lance said, turning to face keith properly, a serious expression replacing the soft one from moments ago.  
Keith blushed slightly at the confession, take aback by the information.  
"Nah..I think you would have made it, you're the strongest person I know after all." Keith said, giving lance his signature dazzling grin.  
Lance laughed softly "no I bet the strongest person you know is pidge."

"Yeah but she's hardly human, I mean c'mon." Keith said with a laugh, also turning to face the other fully, leaning his side against the seat crossing his arms he smiled at the man beside him. Keith found it endearing seeing all of his emotions and troubles played through his eyes, that even in that clouded sea blue, a blue that usually holds such secrets, were clear as day to him. Almost like lance wanted him to see.  
"-yeah you're right." Lance says pulling away from keith having noticed how close they had gotten. Lances phone went off before the atmosphere could grow heavy "oh!'its my sister, I have to take this." He said smiling shyly at keith before getting out of the truck

"O-ok." Keith said to empty space.

_______

"Jaz.. hey." 

"Lance! Its good to hear your voice...but this isn't a call for pleasantries im afraid..." jaz said seriously

"What happened? Is sofia ok? Mateo??" Lance asked with an edge of panic as he looked to the truck from the corner of his eye from where it sat on the otherside of the lot

"No, no...nothing like that but..." the woman signed sadly "oh lance...im so sorry.." she choked, 

"Jasmine what happened??!" The panic in his voice becoming more obvious

"Lance mami got into an accident...we-we need you-" the rest of the womans words were cut short as the phone fell from lances hand and crashed loudly to the floor. What had happened to his mother that was so bad they needed him back...?  
Lance took a deep breath, calming himself before leaning down to grab his phone off the ground as he headed back to the truck.

_______

The atmosphere between the two on the drive back to campus was tense, something had happened with that phone call that caused lance to simply shut down.  
When the man had gotten back to the truck he sourly instructed keith to take him back to his dorm.  
Keith of course obliged with little argument after seeing the desperate look on lances face.

"Do you want me to uh..walk you in?" Keith asked hesitantly as he parked in the courtyard of dorm building C

Lance smiled sadly at him, he didn't want to take out his foul mood on keith, so he didn't say anything, just shook his head and exited the vehicle.  
Lance made his way back to his empty room and sat on his bed with a heavy sigh.

"Its like some god out there refuses to let me be happy.." (thats me <3) he muttered into his hands as he tried to rub the tiredness from his eyes. He layed there for a while, his thoughts lingering on the conversation he'd had with his sister and fear started to seep in- Is mami ok??!

There was a bang on his door causing lance to bolt upright. He hurried to get the door as the banging continued furiously, lance swung the door open with a glare on his face that was quickly wiped off when a fist came into contact with his nose getting a grunt of pain from him and a surprised squeak from the banger  
"W-what the fuck??!" Lance growled, stumbling back with a hand gripping tightly to his nose, feeling the thick warm fluid already dripping through the cracks in his fingers.  
"Oh my god lance im so sorry!!" A familiar voice said, lance looked up to see his sister in a panicked state, she was digging for Tissues in her purse

"Jasmine? What are you doing here?" Lance mumbled from behind his hands  
The woman stopped and looked at lance, her expression went confused to anger, like she'd just remembered something important  
"I told you mami had an accident and you hang up!?!" She snarled, pushing a handful of tissues into lances face "Lance we need you! Mami needs you..." she said quietly, losing her steam  
"Lance I know she was horrible to you...but please..she asked me to get you, she has something to say." Lance looked at his sister hesitantly as He tried to stop his bleeding nose.  
He sighs, having no energy left to argue the boy simply agrees  
"Fine. I'll go..but the second she says anything hurtful im gone." He says sternly  
"Yes that is totally fair." She smiles at him thankfully "she'll be so glad to see you.."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And it wasn't even that angsty


	15. 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First chapter of 2018 is a long obe :)

She'll be so happy to see you..  
\------

Lance sat in the passenger seat of his sister's car, looking out at the city bathed in a soft orange glow.  
It was almost night.. He thought to himself.

He looked to his sister who had a scowl plastered to her soft features. It had been nearly 6 years since he's seen her in person, even though he'd kept in contact with his nieces and nephews, it was only recently they'd reconnected.

"Hey Lance?" Jasmine asked in a hushed voice. 

"Yeah?"

"Do you regret what you did..?" she looked at him from the corner of her eye, only to see him sigh tiredly

"No...I regret what happened with mamí and you all, but not what I did.." Lance smiles at his sister, his eyes shining and his skin glowing in the dim dusk light. "Besides...I'm happy." 

Jasmine blinked then, surprised at the pure radiance of the grin her brother had shot her. She smiled to herself, He really is happy...I hope mamí sees it too. 

"I'm so happy that you're ok..." she whispered a few minutes later, looking to her brother to see he'd fallen asleep where he sat. She sighed. "Get some rest little brother.." she spoke softly 

______

Jasmine pulled her mother's family van into the narrow driveway of the two story home. The windows were dark on the second floor but there was light streaming out from the kitchen window. It looked like Sofia and Marcus were waiting up. 

Jasmine sighed softly and rested her head on the steering wheel for a second, tilting her head to look at Lance who was still sleeping peacefully, curled into a comfy ball in the passenger seat. She smiles at him, taking in his calm expression and letting it wash over her, reasure her that everything would actually be alright. Still that lingering thought at the back of her head wondered if she's lied to Lance...what if Mami didn't want to accept him?

She shook her head to clear that nasty thought, because it's too late for those now.

Jasmine nudged Lance gently with her hand, getting a small whine from him as he opened one eye to glare at her.

"We're here..." she whispered to him, giving him a reassuring smile before getting out of the car.

Lance sat up slowly in his seat and watches as his sister crept towards the front door to wait for him to follow. Lance took a deep breath, taking a second to rub the sleep from his eyes before he got out of the car.

"This is it," Jasmine whispered to Lance as he got to the door and stood next to her. "Are you ready?" 

"Never," he muttered back, looking her sternly in the eye. "But this is close enough." Jasmine chuckled lightly and rasped her knuckles against the door.

"You haven't changed at all..." she grinned warmly at Lance as the door was swung open, and a tall man with short curly hair and bright hazel eyes that gleamed when they met Jasmine's.

"You're back!" the man exclaimed and wrapped his wife in a tight hug. Marcus looked at Lance for a moment before recognition lit in his eyes-"You go by Lance now right?" he asks him.

Lance averted his gaze to the floor, caught off guard at his brother-in-laws such blunt question. "I- yeah...its good to see you Marcus.."The man smiled at Lance kindly. 

"Yeah, it's been too long. And look at you! You've changed so much!" he exclaimed, getting a chuckle from Jasmine and a bewildered look from Lance.

Before either could say another word Jasmine ushered the both of them inside.

Lance walked in as slowly as he could, hesitantly taking in every feature of the familiar home. It was exactly the same yet...entirely new. Lance breathed in the smell of breakfast pancakes and bacon that seemed to stain the house, it was so comforting yet discouraging when all the bad memories were put into play.

Jasmine pulled Lance and Marcus into the living room and sat them on the couch, and she started pacing nervously in front of them.

"Uh Jaz...are you ok?" Lance asked his sister, her obvious nerves rubbing off on him. The woman looked at lance with wide owlish eyes and stopped in her tracks.

"Yes of course!" she says quickly. "I guess I'm just a bit nervous for you.." she shrugged.

Lance chuckled. "I don't really think there's any slack you could pick up in that department. My anxiety right now is worser than before I went on medication for it..." Jasmine visibly softened at his words, before rushing to sit next to her brother, wrapping him in a tight bear hug.

"Hey, hey...it'll be alright. I know Mami was horrible before, but I can guarantee that she wants to make amends." She smiled sweetly at her brother as she pulled back. "But for now you need rest. Mami is already in bed sleeping, so you'll have to wait until tomorrow to talk." Lance nodded in understanding and stood slowly.

"I guess I'll...go to my room," he gulped, glancing around the room nervously before hesitantly edging his way to the stairs.

He rested his hand on the railing and sighed, find that it actually felt really good to be back, even when the place had such bad rep in his mind...after all it still had so much good.

Lance fixed his gaze firmly ahead, determined to get through this. He reached the top of the stairs and creeped quietly past his mother's room with practiced ease. 

He stood in front of his childhood room- scratch that, his first childhood room, his other one sat on the cost of California, at his Tia's house. 

Lance gripped the door knob tightly and took a deep, unsteady breath in before slowly opening the door.

The room was exactly as he left it...the same pale blue walls, beige carpet with random stains, and so many nicknacks lining the half full draws and book shelves full of books, basically everything that wouldn't fit in his suitcase was still filling the room with a false life. 

Lance looked to his bed, the sheets were still thrown about the bed, the dark blue with white stripes look so faded, and it hurt.

He was almost hesitant to collapse onto the bed in exhaustion, but with all that had happened recently...he just couldn't hold out any longer. Lance sighed into the musty sheets in relief after laying down, thinking about how he loved their smell. The feel of them under his hands, the fabric was so familiar and not just in the sense it's what he grew up with, the soft silky material had a more recent familiarity. 

It's Keith Lance thought to himself. It's the same as the shirts he wears, and he loves those shirts- the feel the smell, Keith-

Lance bolted up straight, his eyes widening in the darkness of the room. He pushed that last thought out of his head in a panic of muddled thoughts, ones he never wanted to have about a close friend. And definitely not one he sees like a brother. 

Lance puts a hand to his forehead in concern. Am I sick or something? he ponders for a moment, a glare plastered to his face. I'm just tired is all...and with that thought Lance lay back down slowly and closed his eyes, diving fast into a restless sleep

__________

Keith closed the door of his dorm with a sigh. Pidge looked over at him from her laptop with a raised eyebrows. 

"So how was the date?" she teased 

Keith glared at her and shot back "It was not! A date." He huffed and crossed his arms. "And for the record it was going great until this guy Lotor from my-"

"LOTOR??!!" she and Hunk shrieked simultaneously 

"What happened?! What did he do??!" Hunk demanded, rushing over to him like it was a life or death situation and giving Keith a rough shake by his shoulders

"Jeez Hunk!" Keith hissed in pain, pulling away. "He was a major dick and Lance had a breakdown after I beat the shit out of that bastard. Then he told me his secret, and he went back to his dorm after a call from a girl, apparently his sister, and now I'm here," he sucked in a deep breath, finishing his recount.

"That was so long winded- wait, he told you??" Pidge asked the raven haired teen with a shocked look. 

"Yeah, but only because Lotor said some stuff that gave him away...but who is he to Lance exactly?" he folded his arms and stared sternly at the pair. "I expect a real answer." 

Hunk and Pidge exchanged a look, before finally nodding

"I guess I'll be the one to tell you," Pidge shrugged and pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, taking a moment to collect her words. 

"Lotor is- for a better term...an abusive ex boyfriend from Lance's first year of high school. Lotor was a year older and the cool popular guy so Lance of course really liked him...and for a while things were fine. Until I noticed the bruises...it was in the changing rooms for P.E that day. Lance said it was nothing- an accident," she explains, almost as if she were talking about her major, but there was a deep, distant sadness growing stronger in her eyes.

"But he had the massive bruises on his thighs, and ribs, in places no one would notice...

"I let it go that time and the next, but one day it got really bad, and Lance came to school with a black eye and cast on his arm. That's when I finally decided to do something, I waited a stupid amount of time before I did and I regret it to this day," she takes a breath, trying to ground herself. 

"It took months after that and a call to the police to get him away from Lotor. That was only 7 months before he left so I can understand that feeling of 'I should just leave' thing that he must have had in his head..." Pidge turned away from Keith and Hunk, trying to hide the tears that were finally beginning to spill. 

Keith smiled sadly at her and pulled the girl into a hug, rubbing her back softly. 

"Maybe you should call him? See if hes ok," he suggested. "I know he'd like you company right now."

Pidge looked at Keith with tearful eyes, but a small smile rested on her lips.

"Hunk, get me my laptop," Pidge asked the man who had stood back from the two. Hunk nodded

"But uh, Pidge, why not just call him? You have a phone...he has a phone, it just makes sense," he asked as he handed Pidge the machine.

"Well you see Lance turns off his phone when he wants to be alone," she stated matter of factly. "And before you ask I'm tracking his location, he likes to wonder off if you hadn't noticed, Pidge mutters, completely drowning out the two men as she focuses on the screen.

"Looks like Lance isn't at his dorm...he appears to be in a moving object, likely an automobile of some sort. There is a working cell phone in it's confines and if I can juust," her tongue sticks out the side of her mouth the way it does sometimes when she's heavily focused on a task

"Got it! Ok, so the phone belongs to...Jasmine...McClain. Hunk, he's with Jaz do you think..?" Pidge looked at him with wide eyes.

"He's finally going home?" Hunk said quietly, finishing her sentence with disbelief in his voice m. Keith blinked in confusion.

"Uh what's wrong with him visiting home.?- wait, dumb question sorry, continue." Pidge rolled her eyes at him. "But uh, will he be ok..? I know he doesn't have the best relationship with his family," Keith continued before Pidge could speak again.

"I'ts not that he has a bad relationship with them, in fact they all had a great bond, and his siblings would often come to Hunk or I after he went away, y'know, to see if we knew anything." She sighed and closed her laptop. "It was his mother. She kicked him out when he told her about himself."

"Oh..." Keith bowed his head in an act of subconscious remorse. He'd never experienced hate from a loved one. He'd been accepted as bisexual by his family right away but Lance...he went through so much and came out stronger, and Keith found it extremely endearing to say the least. Keith thought about the time he's known Lance for, how brilliant he was. How his smile could light up a room, and how it lights him up too, every time without fail. Like when they went shopping and Lance had looked so radiant and so happy and so...beautiful.

__________

Lance awoke slowly, drowsiness still holding onto his mind. He looked up at the painfully familiar off-white ceiling with messily stuck down stars that were just barely noticeable in the pale morning light.

The man sat up slowly and brought his legs into his chest, memories from the day before slowly reminding him of what is to come today, something he didn't know if he was ready for yet.  
Lance looked at the wall that stood in front of him. It was the wall that connected with his mother's room. 

He hasn't been this close to her in almost a decade.

There was a soft knock on his door and a small voice sounded from the other side.

"Tío..?" Lance knew that voice anywhere

"Come in Sofia..." he called softly. The 12 year old opened the door slowly, her hair messy from sleep and her eyes tired.

"Are you finally here to talk to Abuela?" she asked him, half hiding behind the door frame. Lance smiled softly at her, beckoning her to come in properly.

"Of course I am Mi estrellita, your mamí basically forced me here," he laughed softly, pulling her onto the bed and into a hug. "You've gotten so big Sofia...sometimes I wish I had been there for you..." Sofia pulled away from Lance slightly, giving him a quizzical look.

"But tio if you'd stayed you wouldn't of been happy, and you wouldn't be my tio, you'd be tia. And I think tio fits you so much better," the sleepy girl adds, giving Lance the signature McClain grin.

Lance sighed a laugh. "When did you get so wise, huh Sofia?"

"It just happened along the way," she shrugged nonchalantly. At that moment, Jasmine appeared in the doorway

"Carinõ, let Lance get ready, I have breakfast for you downstairs, it's your favourite," she smiles. 

Sofia nodded to mother, giving Lance a quick kiss on the cheek before dashing out of the room.

Jasmine sat heavily on the foot of Lance's bed

"Are you ready for today?" she asked him softly, without looking him in the eye. Lance huffed, and fell back onto his bed, gathering his thoughts as he stared up at the ceiling. 

"Not really...I don't think I'll ever be, and to top that I was plagued with this stupid idea all night," he looked over at her from his preferal version.  
"Didn't get a wink of sleep. And if I did, it obviously wasn't good. I feel like shit."

Jasmine groaned and flopped onto her back next to her brother, sighing like she was releasing a months worth of stress. 

"Me neither. I was too worried to sleep. But what was this stupid idea that kept you up?" she asked, keeping her eyes on the ceiling. Lance knew he didn't have to answer her, and that she wouldn't push him to, but he had closed himself away from his family for too long, he decided he was going to be blunt and honest with everything.

"It's just...I told my friend Keith about myself and...well he was just...s-so nice about everything, it was really sweet. And ever since that I've just had this weird feeling for him..." Lance groaned and pulled his pillow to cover his face, frustrated. "My stupid brain keeps picturing him smiling or his laugh, his stupid hot 80's hair, his dumbass, kind welcoming nature-his UNFAIR pectoral muscle," Lance ranted into the pillow, everything coming out in a messy blur.

Jasmine laughed heartily into the cluttered room. "Oh Lance...that was adorable, but let's save the birds and the bees for another time," she tilted her head to look at Lance with a smile, pure and genuine. "Right now you need breakfast!" she sat up suddenly, pulling Lance with her she dragged him down the stairs and sat him firmly at the table.

"I can walk myself, you know," he grumbled as he hunched in his seat. He looked up to see Sofia happily eating an omelette, when a boy around 17 years old stumbles in half asleep. He had unruly black hair and chocolate eyes, much like Jasmine.

The boy sat down heavily in his seat before looking at Lance as his eyes seemed to come into focus, confused.

"Uh, who are you?" he asked bluntly. Lance flinched, hurt that his own brother didn't even recognise him. Lance stared at the table like his life depended on it, trying his best to ignore Mateo.

Mateo grunted as Jasmine smacked him upside the head. "Be nice to your sibling, mud head," she snapped. 

Mateo grumbled something under his breath before stopping and giving Lance a bewildered look

"Wait, sibling? I dont have a brother!" he argued giving Lance a pointed look. "You dont even look anything like me, you have blue eyes and lighter skin." 

"Yeah well you're not looking too good on my end either buddy,"'Lance spat back, unable to stop himself. 

Something like recognition sparked in Mateo's eyes at that. 

"Wait a minute... I know that know-it all-better-than-you attitude anywhere!" Lance glared at him as Mateo started to get extremely excited. "You! It's you isn't it??!" he asked loudly, standing from his seat.

"I dont know, what do you even mean by 'you'?" Lance scoffed, brushing off his brothers question

Mateo frowned. "Don't get dumb with me, I remember that shirt. I'm the one who gave it to you, Mia," he growled back, causing Lance to flinch away at the mention of his old name.

"Y-you caught me...but please, its Lance now," he replied quietly. Mateo blinked surprised and slowly sat down.

"You uh, you've always liked that name," he said after a few minutes of silence. Lance looked at him, confused. 

"I what..?"

"That name. Lance. You liked it since we were kids," Mateo confirmed. "I like it as well...it suits you well, brother," he grinned at Lance. 

Lance did a silent double take before giving in and grinning back brightly

"Of course it does, everything suits me. Well except salmon, salmons ugly on me," Lance rattled on in his growing confidence. It felt good for him to finally be back home...he needed this.

"Since you two have so much energy, why don't we go to the park later?" Jasmine asked her brothers. 

"Yes! I wanna come!" Sofia practically bounced in her seat. 

"You can't come sorry, you have to stay here and help Marcus look after Mamí. I want to take Mat and Lance somewhere," Jaz informed her kindly. Sofia frowned but didn't protest. 

"I'll bring you back a treat," Lance said softly, unable to see her sad, and she lit right up again, nodding happily. 

"Where are you taking us?" Mateo asked his sister. 

"The old playground."

\------- full later 

"It's barely changed," Lance said, feeling a tug in his chest at the sight of the place he and his siblings spent many memorable afternoons. 

"There's been talks they they'll tear it down soon, build a better one," Mat informed Lance, standing beside him. 

"Remember the time that you got stuck in that tree Lance?" Jaz asked him, a mischievous glint in her eye as she pointed to a tall one at the corner. 

"Yes," Lance sighed, face reddening as Mat laughs. "Mamí had to get me down and you two teased me about it for months." 

"What about the time you got stuck in the baby swing Jaz?" Mat asked his sister, laughing harder. "Mamí was so pissed! She had to get you out too!"

"You were the one who dared me!" she defended, no actual heat in her voice despite giving her brother a swift punch to his arm. 

"I didn't think you'd be dumb enough to do it!"

Lance joined in on his sibling's bright laughter, his worries easing away as the good memories rolled through his head, the conversation continuing as they made their way over to the playground, Jaz pushing Lance and Mat on the swings like she always used to. 

Lance didn't really need her to, not when he let himself fly so high on the swing as he leaned back his head and smiled. Just like old times. 

They bought ice cream from the dairy across the road, settling down on a bench and exchanging more stories. 

Then Jasmine's phone rang, and she answered. "Are you sure Mamí?" she asks quietly after a few seconds,  and the light mood disappeared, the anxiety of the situation coming back to Lance. "Ok, we won't be long then." She hung up and looked at Lance, giving him a small, reassuring smile. "She wants us to come home now."

She wants to see me is all Lance heard, and he nodded, taking a breath. Mat gave him a sympathetic look but said nothing. They stop to get another ice cream for Sofia before beginning their journey back. 

"Sofia!" Jazz called, and his niece came running at the sound of her voice, smiling happily as she thanked Lance for the ice cream. 

He watched her begin to work away at it before he felt two soft hands on his shoulders, Mateo and Jasmine. He turned and looked both of them in the eye, anxiety bubbling, but he saw nothing but support and love in their eyes. 

It was going to be ok. 

He took a breath and nodded to them, surprising them both by hugging them tight for a moment. 

Then he turned to face the stairs, and began to ascend them. 

Each step up made his heart pound faster, but he couldn't back at now. He needed to do this. If not now, then he might never, and he's tired of running.

The time between the top of the staircase and in front of his Mamí's door is too quick, and he nearly ended up backing out but no.

It was going to be ok. 

He raised a shaky hand, and knocked on the door.

___________

Lances hand hovered over the doorknob of his mothers room hesitantly, fist clenching and unclenching. 'I can do this' he thought, rasping his knuckles lightly against the old wood door.  
A heavily Spanish accent answered him,

"Come in." His mother called weakly. Lance stood there for a moment longer, put off at his mothers voice. She sounded older he thought.  
He took a few calming breaths before slowly opening the door and sliding inside.  
The room was well lit, the peach colours walls made the room glow in a lovely pink colour. Lances mother lay in her bed which sat in the middle of the room, the aging woman had a cast on her right arm and both of her legs seemed to be broken in different places.  She had a thick gauze wrapped around her head, which went dow to just above her closed eyes

"Mi niño let me see you.." the woman croaked raising her left hand out in lances direction,

"M-mami I.." lance steps and kneels at his mothers left side and takes her hand "im so sorry.." Rosa cracked open an eyes and looked at lance with clouded irises

"Alexander...you look so much like him.." she brought her hand to lances cheek rubbing circles under his eye "Mio, you look so much like your father...i was am idiot to not see it before, cariño I am so sorry..." lance stared eyes wide, tears threatening to flow. Lance rested his hand on top of his mothers which still resided on his cheek

"I forgave you a long time ago mami..please don't cry..." he gave her a toothy grin as his own tears began too prick the edges of his vision

"No Mi niño... what I did was in excusable as a mother. I do not deserve your forgiveness."  the woman cried softly "i drove you away from your Famillia, your friends." lance stared at his mother with love.

"Mami no...sure it was only Tia Maria and Jane for a while, but ive reconnected with my old friends and you all...I even met someone new, his name is keith and hes a bit of an idiot...a goofball." He grins at the woman who was looking at lance in shock

"How is katie and Hunk? Are they doing well? Eating properly?" Lance chuckled

"Yes Mami thet are all fine and eating well-" 

"And who is this keith youre so fond of?? Tell me about him." She askes firmly

"Oh jeez, well where to start!" The two stayed in there for a long while, lance talking away as his mother listened intently, talking in every word carefully, like her life depended on it.

__________

Lance watched as the sun started to set from the widow of his mothers room, hes stayed with her all day without realizing it. Of course the older woman fell asleep not too long ago, lance just couldn't bring himself to leave her side, until there was a soft knock on the door, lance hesitantly stood and opened the door gently wnd quietly, peering out at Jasmine who stood there with her hands behind her back

"I guess it went well the..?" She said in not really a question, "I knew everything would be alright...you better get ready to leave, you have visitors." Jasmine stepped away from the door and started towards the stairs. Lance followed slowly after closing him mothers bedroom door quietly

One they got to the bottom of the steps lances curiosity turned to surprise.

"Keith?" He asked dumbly.  The man with a confident stature turned towards him and smiled sheepishly. 

"Hey lance...pidge was worried about you after you disappeared for a day so she made me dtive her and Hunk- Oof." Lance cut him off as he threw himself at him and wrapped his arms around him, 

"Thank you.." he mumbled into the crook of keiths neck. He smiled softly down at lance, briefly running his finger tips through his hair

"You're very welcome..." 

The two staggered out of the family home and out to Keith truck. Both Hunk and Pidge were waiting outside of the vehicle, jumping into action the second they saw lance.  
Hunk got to him first and lifted him up into a bear hug

"Ah jeez lance, buddy. Never do that again!" He sobbed "we were so worried!!" 

"Oof y-yeah man, sorry but I c a n  br e a th" lance wheezed out, hunk realized the crushed state he'd put lance in and quickly dropped him with a thud as the disgruntled boy landed on his butt

Lance looked up to see Pidge kneeing down to his height "Hey...are you alright?" He asked before helping him to his feet 

Lance nodded vigorously and pulled pidge into a tight hug "yeah...it went great.." he sobbed happily into her shoulder


	16. 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long break guys  
> I'll probably update more often now

The drive back to the university grounds was a long one, the mid day traffic dragged them on slowly but surely, leaving plenty of room for the small bursts of awkward conversation that couldn't persist in the heavy atmosphere.

Keith occasionally glanced back at lance from the reer view mirror, uncomfortable by the silence and unwarranted tension between the two.

"So... radio?" Hunk broke the silence, squeezing himself between the two front seats to reach for the button. He falls just short and Keith turns it on for him. A generic pop song starts playing softly. "Thanks," Hunk said, and then the silenced returned. 

"Change the station," Pidge said after half a minute. 

"But I like this song," Hunk crosses his arms. 

"I don't."

"Are you really arguing about the song choice?" 

"If it's mindless pop music then yes!"

"How about we just listen to my music then?"

"No!" everyone in the car collectively says.

"Keith get your emo ass out," Lance said, smiling. 

"Alright alright, I won't plague your ears with some high quality bands."

The rest of the drive goes by in more comfortable silence, though Keith still can't shake the weird feeling of tension with Lance. Is it just him feeling it? Every time he glanced over at him his eyes were on the road and his expression was relaxed, so Keith couldn't tell. 

"Hey buddy," a voice snaps him out of his thoughts. "We're here." Keith blinked and put his foot on the breaks a little too hard earning a few disgruntled noises from everyone.

"Ah sorry.." he muttered as he pulled into lances dorms parking lot which was on the other side of campus from everyone else's. "Well, we're here. Are you sure you don't want to stay with us tonight?" Keith asked, turning to look at lance who avoided eye contact with him  cheeks slightly red

"N-no im fine really," he looks at pidge and the two exchange a look

"No need to worry keith, I'll spend the night with him." She gives keith a comforting look.  
He sighs and leans back in his chair.   
"Well alright...I'll see you guys later then." The two ger out of the car and keith watches from the rear view mirror as they go.

"Hey keith, buddy. Are you alright?" Keith looks at his friend confused. "You just seem a little down is all.." Hunk analyzes his friends face trying to find a hint

"No, Im fine-"

"Is it about lance? You two did seem unusually tense today.." keith looks away from hunk and frowns at the steering wheel. "Ah so im right. What happened man?"

"I-i don't know! Everything  
was fine until today and he was just closed off!" Keith hits his head on the center of the steering wheel in exasperation causing it to honk. "I did something to make him hate me I know it!"  
H

unk frowns and puts a hand on keiths shoulder,

"Listen buddy I don't think thats the case...I think he probably got in his own head abd is taking his uncertainty out on you. I mean he did just go through something hella stressful." Hunk supplied ,giving his friend a reassuring squeeze on his shoulder  
Keith sighs and takes his head off of the wheel

"Yeah I guess you're right...but What could be bad enough that he doesn't want me around??"

~~~~~~~~

Lance closes his door behind him after pidge walked in a took a seat on his messy bed.

"So mind telling me whats up?I thought things with your mom went well" she says, looking at lance sternly 

Lance's face goes a shade darker. "I-it's not that.." 

"Then whats up, why are you acting so weird?" She stares him down until ge takes a seat next to her.

"It's just..I  
I think I might have feelings for Keith..." he looks at her uncertainty  
She looks at lance with a blank yet slightly disappointed look  
"Well no shit you do." She pinches the bridge of her nose. "How long has it taken you to figure out that one??"  
Lance lools at her flabbergasted (I love that word) 

"Wha- I - How did you already know?!?" Pidge blinks at him slowly.

"I am going to be  very honest with you right now...it was kind of obvious from the first time I saw you two interact." Lance groans and throws himself face first on to his pile of pillows

"Was I I really that obvious??" He groans into his pillows so the words are muffled. Pidge chuckled and patted lances back.

"Hey if it makes you feel any better I'm sure he feels the same."

"..Really..?"

"One hundred percent." 

Lance looks at his best friend with loving eyes.  
"You always know what to say Tu pajarito.."  She laughs and punches his shoulder lightly

"Well of course I do, I am me after all." She pauses for a minute before laying down on her stomach next to him. "So before...you were acting weird because of Keith?" 

Lance sighed "Yeah...I guess I don't really know how to act around someone that ive actually acknowledged as an interest...It's been so long I-" he stops and turns his head away from her. Pidge sits up and puts a hand on his back in a comforting gesture

"Its alright Lance, take your time."


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Publishing this bad boy right before s6 releases

Keith unlocks the door to their dorm and flicks the light on, he sighs and flops on his bed. Hunk closes the door behind them and looks at keiths depressing form.

"Keith c'mon, I bet its nothing bad." He tries to reason but keith just grunts in response

"Ugh dude stop being so self pitying! Lance isn't the type to hate someone out of the blue, so go talk to him instead of jumping to conclusions." He pulls out his own phone and goes into his own messages with lance and tosses it as his head. "Now I'll make brownies while you do that."  Hunk walks into the kitchen and starts with the brownies.

Keith lifted his head to stare at the phone in distaste, It had indeed hit his head. He grumbles something along the lines of 'im only doing it for brownies'  
He looks at the phone ans sighs, throwing away his nerves.

To: Lonce

Hey. Its me, Keith.  
What's up, why are you acting so weird?

Keith throws the phone onto the floor after the message sends. Hunk glares at him from the kitchen

"If you break that you'll have more than your student loan to pay off!" He snaps before turning back into the kitchen.

Keith grumbles and lays flat on the couch, glarng at the ceiling. He can still see the phone on the floor in the corner of his eyes. Five minutes pass and he groans, stuffing a cushion over his face.

"Keep the miserating to a minimum!" Hunk says from the kitchen. Keith groans louder from under the pillow, he pulls it off of his head and snaps back

"Well I'm sorry, it's not my fault my new closest friend is ignoring me now. Hell He probably hates me too..."

Hunk makes an aggravated noise before throwing a stray spatula at keith. "We've been over this, he doesn't hate you." He goes back to cooking after that, leaving Keith annoyed and with a bruise on his head.

~~~~~~~~~~

Lance blinked his eyes groggily and tried to rub the sleep out of them with the heel of his hands.

He looks at his phone to check the time. Its 5 am the next day and he has a text from Hunk. Lance scans his eyes over the message and sits upright fast. He's wide awake now. 

To: Hunky

Keith, No you didn't do anything.  
Its all on me so please don't worry

__

He waits a good half an hour in bed for a reply, groaning a pulling his covers over his head when he can't take it any longer. 

He gets out of bed and showers, listening for his phone to buzz on the sink, but no luck again. He's halfway through some sad toast Pidge had made him out of sympathy when it does buzz, making him choke in shock. 

____  
From: Keef

Hunk gave me your reply.

Lance if something is bothering you, you know you can tell me?

Im here for you so don't close me out.

_____

Lance's heart picks up. And he grimces, as guilt clebches his heart.

___

To: Keef 

I am not closing you out. I wouldn't do that and you know it.

I just dont dont need your help with this, I'm sorry but I need some time to think.

From: Keef.

Lance  
You've ignored me enough, but if you dont want me around for a while then Fine.

_____

Keith flipped in his bed and groaned into his pillows. He felt so heartless and cold.

"Great now I'm the cold one.." 

Hunk jumped down from the top bunk and stumbled groggily. Giving keith a slightly shock.

"Jeez Keith.. keep your sulking down," He grumbles as he starts up some coffee. "What are you even complaining about now?"  
Keith sat up and pouted at Hunk.

"Lance.. I replied to his message." Hunk hums a sound of interest and brings Keith cup of coffee. "Thanks.."

Hunk plops down next to keith "alright show me the messages." Keith hesitantly handed him his phone.  
Hunk reads them over a few times before pinching the bridge of his nose.  
Hunk hands the phone back to Keith.

"Sorry but, you're on your own kid." He gets up and goes back to the kitchen. "Want another brownie?"

______

Lance stared at his phone with a look of complete and utter grief.

"Oh god...what did I just do.???" He yell whispered to himself.  
Pidge looked at him suspiciously from over her book that she was reading at lances small dining table that sat close to the kitchenette.

"Yeah.. what did you do? Is it about keith?" She got up from her spot to tower over lance. "If you hurt that poor boy I swear-" 

"Im sorry!" Lance wailed "I panicked and I pushed him away! I didn't mean to.. I didn't mean to hurt him" Lance went from a yell to a whisper, indicating his descent into an attack. He curled into himself and tore into his hair with his hands.

"God im useless im an idiot I can't do anything right. I hope keith hates me ! God I'd Fucking deserve that!" Pidge jumped into action, speedily and gently removing lances hands from his hair and pulled them to her chest.

"Hey Lance. Calm down.. you're alright, you can get through this. I can help you get through this." She soothed, running her hand over his ruffled hair, smoothing it back out.  
Lances breathing steadied and his muscles relaxed a bit, he sighed heavily still trying to get his breath back. He looked at pidge sadly and pulled his hands away.

"I'm sorry you had to see that..." he looked away from her. Ashamed.

"Its alright lance, im used it." She tried but lance just hunched lower

"Im such a goddamned mess katie. I dont know what to do anymore." He looked at her with sad eyes "I cant even keep myself from pushing away the person I want the most."

"You cant push Keith away Lance. It'll take more then angry words over texts to get rid of him." She put a reassuring hand on his shoulder "plus I'll help you get him if you want. I know that boy like the back of my hand." She grins at him, earning a weak smile in return.

Lance exhales and flops back on his bed.

"What would I do without you katie.?" She snorts

"I dont know, probably die." He raises an eyebrow at her and laughs loudly, a long awaited grin splits his face in two "god you're right about that one."


	18. Chapter 18

Pidge left Lance's dorm shortly after his attack. He had wanted to be alone and collect his thoughts, so she obliged. Pidge stood in the lobby of the building, and she leaned against the wall to text Hunk an update on Lance and that she was on her way back.

"Ah! Pidge is it?" A posh female voice said from behind her. Pidge jumped slightly and turned to the voice with raised eyebrows

"Uuuh yeah..?" She looks the tall dark skinned woman up and down, sizing her up. She had bright blue eyes and white hair paired with a dazzling smile. Pidge blushed and lowered her head to avoid her brilliant gaze.

"It's a great pleasure to meet you! Lonce has told me much about you in our few conversations." She took a step towards Pidge and stuck out her hand. "My name is Allura, I'm Lonce's dorm RA."

Pidge's face darkened another shade as she took her hand. "I-it's a pleasure to meet you as well, thank you for taking care of Lance. But uh, you can call me Katie if you want.." Allura grinned and shook Pidge's hand firmly.

"Alright Katie it is then!" She releases her hand "I was just heading out for coffee, would you like to join me?" Pidge's eyes widened.

"I-I uh s-sure I'd love too.." She gathered ger courage to look into Allura' gorgeous gaze. Pidge cleared her throat and adjusted her large round glasses. "If we're having coffee together, do you mind helping me with a little something for Lance?"

Allura brightened. "Why, of course I would love to help!"

_____

Hunk left his room having gotten sick of Keith's moping, he grabbed his phone from his pocket to see Pidge's message.

"Well, I guess she can deal with Keith herself when she gets back," he mumbles to himself as he stuffs his phone back into his pocket. 

Hunk goes into the downstairs lounge of the building, dropping himself on the clunky sofa with a heavy sigh of relief.

"Finally I can relaax." He leans his head on the back of the sofa with closed eyes, sighing contently at the silence of the strangly empty common area. Hunk sits like that for a few minutes before he starts dozing off only to be jolted wide awake by a slightly aggressive throat clearing from behind the sofa.

Hunk snaps his eyes open and glares at the man towering above him.

"Shiro I know. We aren't supposed to sleep here." He sits up and turns his body to face him. "But it's not my fault! Keith is being so obnoxious lately and I can't stand it!" The man snorted, walking around the sofa and taking a seat next to Hunk.

"It's spring break, I don't care if you sleep in the common room Hunk." Hunk raised an eyebrow at him and hummed, moving back into his original position.

The two sat in awkward silence before Hunk finally spoke again.

"Sooo...why are you still here? Don't you have family to visit?" Shiro huffed a laugh

"No, as an RA I have to stay on campus to make sure any student staying on property behaves themselves." He gives Hunk a sideways look. "Making sure you guys behave." Hunk sat up with an offended gasp.

"We would never! Misbehave! I can't believe you think so little of us Shiro. Honestly, I'm offended. Betrayed by the people I thought I could trust!" Shiro raised an eyebrow at Hunk.

"Ok, ok, that's enough with the dramatics Hunk." Shiro leaned back against the sofa, mirroring Hunk's original position. "So, what Keith's problem this time?"

Hunk groaned in annoyance and frustration. "You said no more dramatics so you're going to have to lift that rule if you want to know." Shiro sighs and rolls his eyes.

"Alright I take back my rule. You may proceed with your dramatics."

Hunk leans forward and looks Shiro in the eyes," Boi, lemme tell you."  
_____

Hunk lifted his head in annoyance as his phone buzzed, he looked at his phone to see a message from Pidge, and he groaned as he read over the message.

_____

From: Pidge.

Ok dude Lance's dorm RA is a total hottie!? And im just djddzdjtdtjtdj

But that's not important right now, because I have an idea on how to get Lance and Keith together.

______

To. Pidge.

Haha Pidge are you ok? you seem a little out of sorts there :P   
But I'll hear this idea you have but only if you tell me about this hottie later.

_____

From. Pidge.

What do you take me for?? of course I'll tell you about her and I'll tell you my idea when I get back to the dorm. is Keith still sulking?

____

To. Pidge.

I'm not sure but it's very likely he is.  
I left like an hour ago to get away from his dramatics.

___

Hunk shoved his phone back into the pocket of his yellow hoodie and heaved himself off of the couch

He waves goodbye to Shiro who responded with a weak wave of his own. Hunk made his way back to his dorm and groaned silently. 'Do I really need to go back?' He thinks to himself before begrudgingly pushing the door open.

"Hey Keith, you still alive?" He called out into the darkness of the room. He hears a grunt from the bottom bunk and rolls his eyes, "You really need to stop this moping. It's not going to get you anywhere dude!" He strides expertly into the kitchenette and flicks on the lights, earning an annoyed hiss from Leith as he shuffled deeper into the covers.

"Hunk just let me die!" he cries dramatically

"Oh my god, what happened between you and Lance wasn't even that bad! Stop acting like its the. End. of. The. World." With that he tears the blankets off of Keith's bed causing him to squawk in angry surprise.

"D-dude!" He tries to pull the blanket back over his naked chest with a bright red face. 

"No, I don't care that you are half naked you are getting out of bed this instance!" He grabs Keith's exposed leg and yanks him out of the bed, sending him sprawling onto the dirty carpet.

The two whip their heads around at the sound of a throat clearing from the door.

"So this is what I come back to after a hard day at work?" Pidge sighs and shakes her head in disappointment. She gives Keith a weary look before stepping around him and stands besides Hunk. She whispers something in his ear and he nods.

"What are you two whispering about?" Keith asks from his uncomfortable position on the floor. Pidge gives him a side look.

"Hm nothing, Hunk meet me in the hall." She steps back and walks into the hall, leaving the door open for Hunk.  
Hunk gives Keith an apologetic look before stepping around him and moving out into the hall,  joining Pidge and closing the door behind him

_____

Pidge turns and grins at Hunk.

"Okay, so I had Lance's RA Allura help me find a way to bring those two idiots together." She paused, grinning madly. "I propose a beach weekend."

Hunk looked at her quizzically then said, "Are you sure that's a good idea? Keith doesn't really like getting into water these days, or any day..." he put a hand behind his head in questioning.

Pidge scoffed. "Of course I know he has a significant issue with getting his face wet." She frowned and looked the ground "It'll be... good for him." Hunk nods at this.

"Yeah, I guess it would be. I'll go have a chat with him about it, you wanna go back to Lance's to check if its cool with him?" he suggests. Pidge nods and smiles.

"Sounds good, now I'll go make the gruelling journey back to the other side of campus at 7 pm." She turns quickly on her heel and starts walking away.

"Don't get mugged!" he calls after her, earning a middle figure to be directed at him. Hunk chuckled and goes back inside.  
_____

Hunk laid on his back, staring at the pitch black ceiling above him and decides it's time.

"So I was thinking," Hunk said into the darkness of the room. "We haven't really gone out as friends in a while."

Keith groaned into his hands and jabbed his fist into the bottom of Hunk's top bunk. "Oh my god. I can't believe you and Pidge planned something without me!" Hunk sighed

"You seem to be finding a way to get pissed about anything lately. Yeah, we did. But it's for your own good," Hunk says stubbornly. 

"The hell do you mean by that?" He questioned angrily, the sound of him turning in his bed violently making Hunk cringe.

"We're going to the beach," he stated, his words leaving no room for argument about it.

That sentence causes distress to Keith immediately, "Hunk, no-" his plea got cut off.

"Let me finish! Everyone is going, the whole crew. So Lance is too. And you're going to bond."

"You can't force people to get along-"

Above him, Hunk cracks his knuckles threateningly. "We'll find a way."

Keith frowns and glares in the darkness at the bottom of Hunk's bunk. "You better be joking."

"I am. But also not. But I am. Pleaseeeee Keith? Even if nothing changes between you too, you'll still get to hang out and have fun with everyone," he points out, hoping that would convince him.

Doubt starts to conflict Keith's other feelings. "I... I'll think about it. Ok?"

"Ok buddy, take take as much time as you need. Also known as decide before the end of tomorrow because we have to arrange travel plans."

"This means you can't nag me for being broody until then."

"You-!" Hunk starts in outrage but calms himself. "OK fine. I can do that. Edgelord. It starts now!" he says quickly as he hears noises like Keith is getting out of bed to punch him. Keith grumbles but settles back down, a hand resting anxiously on his right cheek.

_________________

When Pidge returns to Lance's dorm, he's watching a random show on the TV, looking visibly more calm and content. 

"Hey." he says, barely turning his head to look at her.

"Hey. How are you feeling?" She asks, making her way over to him.

"Much better... the time really helped." He turned his head and grinned at her.

"Have you talked to him?" His smile fell slightly

"N-no... I couldn't bring myself to, I'm sorry- I don't... want to let it be like this." He seemed to shrink into the back of his small sofa then.

"It's okay..." Pidge sits tentatively next to him. "So... how do you feel about a beach trip? The whole group is taking a car down for the weekend."

Anxiety spikes through Lance immediately an he crosses his arms, Pidge senses this and reaches out to cover the top of his hand. 

"I don't know... I want to, but..." He hasn't gone swimming since highschool and with his scars still being fairly new, the thought sent uncomfortable shivers down his spine, causing him to tug anxiously at the long sleeves of his shirt. 

"You don't have to swim if you don't want to. Keith will also be there. Maybe sorting it out in person will be easier than text?" Pidge says hopefully. 

Lance thinks for a moment and nods, feeling surprisingly calmer when he thinks about Keith. "Yeah... ok, I guess I could go for that if nothing else." He sighs and rests his head on her shoulder.

Pidge smiles and surprises Lance with a hug. "Thank you. I know how hard it must be hard for you."

Tears well up in Lance's eyes, and he just hugs her back, feeling grateful again for such wonderful friends. 

______

Pidge once again finds herself alone in the lobby area of Lance's dorm building, only this time there's no Allura in sight. She sighs disappointedly and opens her phone to call Hunk.

"Hey Hunk," she says 

"Hey Pidge..." he yawns loudly into the speaker.

"Ugh dude did you just wake up?!?" He groaned from the other side

"Yes but don't be so loud, Keith is still sleeping... probably," he muttered. Pidge sighed pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration.

"Well I just wanted you to know that Lance is in and I'm on my way back." She hung up and shoved her phone into the pocket of her dark green hoodie. 

She steps out into the morning air and shivers as she starts on her way back.

"Ahh Katie..?" a sleepy voice said from behind her. She turns to see Allura there, bundled up in an oversized hoodie and her hair done up in a messy bun. "It's early, why are you out at a time like this?" Pidge cleared her throat and looked away, slightly flustered at the mere sight of her.

"O-oh you know... I like me my early bird special..." Allura laughed loudly at that.

"Oh Katie you are hilarious!" She giggled. "I was about to go to the cafe out of school grounds for those early birds if you wanted to join me on your quest?" She asked her with gleaming eyes.

Pidge choked a bit and spluttered a reply. "Agk u-uh y- I mean yes of course I would love to! I-I mean not love to of course because love is a strong word-" Allura's raised eyebrow stopped her blabbering. "I'm sorry- what I meant was. Yes, I would very much like to join you." She let out a shaking breath and smiled sheepishly at Allura. She chuckles and walks forward to stop next to Pidge.

"Well that's lovely to hear." She grins and starts on her way, "Let's be off then."

_______

Pidge pushes the café door open, holding it for Allura who smiles gratefully at her as she walks in. The place was basically empty with the exception of a few employees who were busy

"I absolutely love their special breakfast here," Allura said, excitement oozing off of her. "I'm so glad I finally have someone to accompany me too."

"I-I'm glad to accompany you," Pidge says lamely, but Allura has already bounded off to the counter to order. Pidge rubs her temples and follows. Allura is a lot... both literally and figuratively.

"Oh Katie you have to get the special breakfast!" Allura gushes. The staff doesn't seem too effected by her enthusiasm so she must be like this every morning. 

"Oh sure, how much is it?" Pidge goes to pull out her wallet, gazing up at the menu. She tenses up when Allura's hand gently closes around her wrist and stopped her from doing so. 

"No need, let it be my treat," she smiles. Pidge has gone red and is speechless. Her hands are so fucking soft is all Pidge's brain can supply. The taller woman doesn't seem to notice her dumb-founded stare as she pays for breakfast for the both of them. 

Pidge follows her to a table and they sit opposite eachother.

"So. While we wait I want to hear about the plan for this beach holiday we discussed yesterday." Allura said, waiting excitedly for Pidge to share the details.

She cleared her throat and pushed her glasses up her nose, a devious smirk raising on her face as some of her confidence returns. 

"You see, a friend of mine owns a truck and his full license. The truck can be used to transport equipment and belongings of everyone involved. My own dorms RA Shiro, I'm assuming you know each other, has a van that can transport people. I've already contacted someone for a place to rent that's close to the beach. So really I've already planned everything." She took a breath to recover from that mouthful. Allura clapped excitedly.

"Ah it all sounds lovely Katie, you're a spectacular planner!" Pidge scoffed and blushed profusely.

"Oh pleeaase, I'm definitely not that good! I could use some work..." She looked away from Allura

"Oh darling don't be modest. I know fourth years who can't even finish a four page essay in a week and you've gone and planned this in less then 24 hours!" Allura takes Pidge's hands in hers, forcing Pidge to make eye direct inescapable eye contact. "You are brilliant." 

Allura's dazzling grin put Pidge in a daze and she muttered a quiet, "Th-thank you..." 

Not long after, one of the employees brought them their breakfast, and they ate in a comfortable silence, Pidge's nerves calming down a little bit the longer she was in Allura's presence. 

_________

Lance opened his eyes groggily and gazed around his dim room. 'Oh... she's gone' he thought to himself

He sat up and stretched, loosening his stiff joints.

He sighed as he stood and made his way begrudgingly to his cramped bathroom.

"Disgusting..." he muttered as he got a glimpse of himself in the dirty mirror. He turned his back to the mirror and stripped off his clothes in harshly, wanting the crawling bad feeling gone. 

He turned on the shower and stepped in, shivering at the sudden freezing temperature. As the water slowly faded into warmth he sighed and let the liquid fire wash over him and take the filth with it.

He looked down at his forearms and hate and regret twisted in his gut. 

"How the hell am I supposed to face them with this??!" His eyes traced over the the many pink scars that littered his skin and he shuddered at the memories that flooded in at the mere sight of them. "But I can't just say no to her..." he groaned and slid down the wall of the shower, tucking his knees into his chest. He rests his head on his knees and loosely wrapped his arms around them. He stayed there for a long time, just feeling the heat wash over him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok thanks for reading  
> The actual beach chapter is infact next.  
> But I have no idea when it will be out lol


	19. Chapter 19

Keith groaned as he heaved the last of the supplies that Hunk had him put in the bed of his truck. 'I can't believe I let myself get talked into this' he thought, with a scowl plastered to his sharp features. He looked up at the sky, using his hand to shield his eyes from the blazing sun.

Keith lowered his head again and sighed in relief that all of the supplies were finally loaded. First stressful part of the day over, though there'd be many more to come.

"C'mon Keith, it won't be so bad," Hunk comes up behind him and pats his shoulder sympathetically. Keith shakes it off, turning and walking back towards their dorm building.

"Let's just get ready so we can go." Despite his moodiness Hunk seems unusually lenient about it, probably not wanting to make the day any harder by pointing it out.

Pidge and Allura arrive with Shiro and Lance in tow carrying all their bags with Allura being the most visibly excited out of all of them.

Keith's heart skipped a few beats when he saw Lance for the first time in a while and the first time since... then. He looked awkward, tugging at the sleeves of his shirt almost compulsively. Keith looked away from him quickly as their eyes met, and he started walking faster, away from them all.

The inside of the dorm is a lot colder without the heat of the sun, but Keith needed a breather. He closes the bathroom door behind him and takes a huge breath. You already messed it up he tells himself over and over, he's not gonna want to talk to you anymore, he must think you hate him.

Overwhelmed, he leans over the sink and breathes some mind, eyes closed as his mind runs over all the possible outcomes of the day.

He splashes his face with water to rid himself of the images and cringes when he realises the effect it's had on a part of his face. He can't see that. No one can. Keith quickly reapplied the foundation before jumping as harsh knocks hit against the door.

"Keith, c'mon, we have to leave soon. We're behind schedule!" Pidge's strained voice says from behind the door.

"Coming." Keith he shouts back, stealing one last look into the mirror before hesitantly leaving the dorm and rejoining the others that were gathered around the two cars.

______

Lance swung his duffle bag over his shoulder, biting his lip to stop himself from crying. Keith ran off after he arrived. All his hopes of saving their friendship were crashing and burning before his eyes. He had so much fear this wouldn't work out and it isn't. Keith still hasn't looked at him since returning to the group.

Does he hate me that much? The thought echoed through his head.

"Uh Lance, are you even listening?" Pidge's demanding voice broke through his train of thought.

"Huh? What uh no... sorry.." he said sheepishly. Pidge sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration.

"We were just discussing seating. We figured that since you and Keith decided last minute that you wanted to come, you can both ride in his truck. Is that cool with you?" she asked flatly. Lance's eyes widened and then shot over to where Keith was standing, their eyes met and they both looked away.

"I-I guess it's okay..." he muttered, unable to decline.

"Alright then, it's settled!" She slammed shut her planning notebook. "Everyone! Get into your designated vehicles. There will be no swapping of passengers between the two cars and we are only stopping once for food and bathroom so we can stay on schedule. Am I clear?!" She glowered at everyone and there was a collective affirmative from the group. They scattered, everyone maneuvering to their assigned seats, leaving Lance and Keith standing alone. Keith gives Lance a brief look of sadness before it fades into a blank stare.

"Get in." Turning, he moves around and gets in the drivers seat, waiting for Lance to follow suit.

Lance stands there frozen for a moment. I knew he hated me.. he thought to himself sourly. He threw his duffel bag into the bed of the truck with everything else then situated himself in the passenger seat, a glare fixed firmly ahead of them.

Keith started the truck and continued after Shiro's van.

After half an hour of awkward silence, Keith reached over and turned on the radio. The song Careless Whisper filled the cab.

"Ugh really...the Seether version..?" Lance muttered under his breath.

Keith side glanced him with a raised eyebrow.

"You have a problem with Seether?" He asked, careful to keep his tone non-  
threatening and playful.

Lance scoffed, still looking out of his window.

"Of course I have a problem. He obviously tainted the original version!" He half shouted, twisting his torso to glare at keith. "With his Grungy. Emo. Taint." Keith chuckled, giving Lance an amused look

"Well, they are a grunge band you know." He said warily, trying to keep the mood light as not to break whatever thing they had reforming.

Lance tsked. "Of course I know that! But the original was a masterpiece and masterpieces should never be messed with!" he clarified stubbornly, sticking his nose in the air and looking away. Keith grinned, trying his best not to burst into laughter, instead focusing on the road in front of him.

"What are you smiling about?" Lance grumbles. Keith looked at him from the corner of his eye again, the smirk never leaving his lips.

"The fact that you think the George Michael version was the masterpiece," he stated playfully, the smirk widening. Lance's face bloomed red in annoyance.

"Well it was! The originals are always the best." He pouted. Keith burst into laughter at that, leaving Lance baffled and staring at him with questioning eyes.

"Ok ok I'm sorry but you have got to be kidding me!" Keith exclaimed "The seether version made it a good song. I can admit that the Original was better in the more musical side of things with how many classical instruments were used but overall..." he grimced and waved his hand a bit for emphasis "Seether made it so much better and fucking nailed that cover." Lance groaned and threw up his arms slightly in defeat .

"Ok fine! Seether - may- have made the better version." He glared at keith for a moment before a smile started to break through the wall he desperately wanted gone. "But I'm still sticking with my boy George." Keith chuckled and sighed contently. The cab fell silent once more, the air growing heavier as the seconds passed.

"Hey... Lance..?" he said quietly and unsurely. Lance looked at him with a questioning quirk to his eyebrow. "Do you... hate me?" he managed, with a slightly waver in his voice. Lance looked away and frowned.

"I- no. I dont hate you... things have just been-"

"-Weird. I know." He cuts Lance off. "But you never told me why, you said you needed space- And I get that, I do but- I can't just let you go like that. Lance, you're literally my best friend so I cannot and will not let you push me away anymore," he says, with a sudden burst of passion as he grips the steering wheel tighter.

Lance sits there stunned. The cab of the truck is silent for what felt like a Deca-pheob. He came to his senses and slouched in his seat, sighing sadly.  
"Look Keith... I'm- I'm sorry for the way I treated you... I just suddenly acted out and I didn't know how to fix it so I-I just didn't..." Keith nodded slowly. "I really didn't want you push you away Keith, and you have to know that. I just didn't know how to make what I said better and it snowballed into this thing. Pushing people away has always been my strong suit...you know, leave them before they can leave me, I guess part of me was doing that to you too." Lance gasped quietly for oxygen after his long rant. Talking at length in any context always made him too nervous to handle. He looked at Keith nervously, not knowing if he'd shared too much. The cab grew quiet again, the only thing to be heard was the delicate music playing in the background.

"Yeah, I get it," Keith said softy after a long moment. "Just don't let it happen again.... agreed?"

"Agreed.." Lance smiled softy in relief, ignoring the small doubt still clouding him.

______________

The silence between them was finally comfortable again. Keith hoped Lance didn't notice but he couldn't keep a relieved smile off of his face from the end of their conversation, till when both cars arrived at the first 'pit stop' planned for the way there.

Keith parked the car and turned it off before looking at Lance. "Wanna look in the gift shop to piss off Pidge?"

"Of course. But you're the one who's gonna take the heat for it." Keith rolled his eyes and smiled, and they both got out and headed towards the gift shop.

The shop is filled with cheesy American themed merch and beachy stuff, blatantly a tourist trap, but neither took much notice and wandered lazily around the shelves.

"Ooh! Bobble heads!" Lance held one up for Keith to see, a cute chihuahua. Keith isn't that impressed with it, but seeing Lance so excited about a mini chihuahua is too much for him. He gives a thumbs up in response and turns to hide his blush, pretending to be invested in some fridge magnets.

A small guarded section in the corner by the counter catches his eye, and he turns to see a cabinet display of some pocket knives. Intrigued, he tries to discretely walk over and look at them. A cool camo red one calls out to him, and he inspects it with a smile on his face.

"I don't understand your obsession with knives," Lance says from behind him, and Keith jumps, nearly dropping the knife.

"It's not an obsession," he scowls. "They're just cool."

Lance hums. "Sure. " Lance looks around more, leaving Keith to grumble to himself and fiddle with the knives.

______

"Katie!" A hand on her shoulder gently shook her awake. "We're at the first designated toilet stop!"

"Oh... awesome," she blinks blearily, yawning and stretching out her arms, before opening her eyes. A radiant Allura stares back at her, half sitting in the truck with the door open, and Pidge sits up like a shot, embarrassed. Allura just giggles good-naturedly.

"You fell alseep on Hunk whilst we were driving. Everyone else is inside now, though I think Lance and Keith went to look at the gift shop together instead," Allura says.

Pidge wakens more at those words, scowling. Of course they didn't stick to schedule! "They are both so getting it when they-" but she cuts off, remembering the main point of this whole trip. They went to look together.

"When they..?"

"Nevermind." Pidge waves it off

"Hmm, these backseats are much more comfy then the ones in the front... do you think Hunk will mind if we switched seats?" Allura pulls herself fully into the seat, getting comfortable and throwing an arm over the back of the seat, and Pidge feels like dying because her arm is right behind her shoulders.

"Y-you'd have to ask him..."

"Of course. Oh, here they come!" The two turn their heads to see Hunk and Shiro walking back toward the van.

"Pidge!" Hunk starts running up. "Operation seems to be going great so far! They went to the giftshop together!" he exclaims excitedly. Allura and Pidge respond with equal passion about it, happy that the two seemed to have hashed some things out already.

"Alright guys, calm down," Shiro slides into the drivers seat again. "We haven't even gotten to the beach yet."

"Shiro just let us be proud of our idiots for a second," Pidge says.

"Yes, we must celebrate the small victories," Allura nods in agreement.

All four stop their conversation when Lance and Keith emerge from the shop, Lance jokingly holding the door open for Keith who rolls his eyes. They make their way over.

"Why are you guys just sitting there? I thought we were on a very time-tight schedule."

"We are, we were waiting for you," Pidge says flatly, and they give her fake sheepish smiles.

"Ok, let's get going then."

"Wanna switch seats?" Lance asks Keith.

"Why?"

"So you don't have to drive the whole way there, idiot," he says good-naturedly. Keith gives him a small shove and they both laugh.

Keith turns back to look at Pidge before he gets into the passenger seat, Lance having already gotten into his side. She gives him a big thumbs up, and he blushes before ducking easily into the truck. Pidge takes it as another good sign.

\----------------------------------

The rest of the two hour drive went by in a flash. The cars pull up to a fairly decent looking beach side motel named Beach Breeze Motel... not the flashest along the shore but with so many people they had to go cheap.  
Pidge stepped out of the van and stretched. She turns to the group

"Voila, our living arrangements for the next 2 nights!" she states enthusiastically. The groups stares blankly at the large building behind her.

"Very good Katie! It is brilliant that you've gotten such a lovely place for us to stay!" Allura exclaimed with an excited clap.

"I-its no big deal," she stammers out, giving an over-exaggerated smile.

"Can we just check in now? I'm tired," Hunk complains.

"You slept most of the way here!" Shiro crosses his arms.

"Yeah, well, travel is exhausting."

The group decide to wait outside while Pidge and Shiro went to check in and get their respective room keys, watching seagulls fly above and already enjoying the slight sea breeze.

"You excited?" Allura turns to Lance. "I can't wait to go to the beach."

"Y-yeah, me too," Lance murmurs, eyes falling downcast suddenly. Keith knows something in his mood changed, but he doesn't get the chance to ask before Pidge and Shiro rejoin the group.

"Ok, three people to a room. Me, Allura and Lance will have one, Hunk, Shiro and Keith take the other," Pidge announces upon return. "Dinner is at 8 im my room. Do not be late!" Everyone mutters in acknowledgement.

Shiro starts heading to their room first, thankfully placed right next to the other's. Keith was the last one into the room, luggage making it slower than he'd like. Lance is also last in too, and just before they enter Keith tries to give him a reassuring smile. Lance's expression gets even more worried before he gives Keith a smile back, disappearing and closing the door.

Keith closes his behind him and leans against it, letting out a sigh.

\----------

In less than five minutes Hunk is passed out and snoring on his bed, Shiro moving around the room and making it more home-y. Keith lays on his back, hands behind his head as he stares at the blank ceiling. A lot has already happened today, he hopes things keep going smooth. Brief thoughts flash in his mind, of messing everything up, of Lance hating him again, and Keith can't take it. He gets up and walks to the bathroom without saying anything, closing the door behind him and turning on the shower with no intention of taking one.

\----------------

"Keith," Shiro calls from the other side of the door. "I know you're being angsty. Get out here so we can talk."

"Talk about what?"

"Him."

Oh. Keith sighs, shutting off the shower in defeat and appearing a moment later. Hunk is sitting on the bed, both looking at him expectantly.

"What about him?"

"Well... how's it going?" Hunk prompts. "You guys got along pretty well so far."

"Yeah," Keith agrees. "We talked. In the car. He explained things. We accepted apologies."

Hunk stood up. "That's- that's good, right? You guys are good?" he asks hopefully.

"Yeah," Keith nods.

"What was all that about before then?" Shiro chimes in. Keith sighs.

"It's stupid. I'm just still afraid I'll mess it all up...." he said, casting his eyes downward. Shiro smiled softly at the boy

"Keith, it's ok to feel that way. But don't let that feeling get the better of you," he said, resting a hand on Keith's shoulder. Keith looked up at him and sighed in defeat.

"Yeah... you're right," he smiled back at the man. "Thanks, Shiro."

Hunk claps both men on the shoulder and grins.

"Progress!"

\-------------------

Lance looked out at the sea from the small window in their room. He sighed contently at the sight of it, wishing already that he could have the sand in his toes and the waves at his knees.

"The ocean is beautiful, isn't it?" Lance jumped slightly and turned to see Allura smiling sweetly at him.

"Oh... yeah, it really is." He looked back out the window, admiring how the low car beams from the sun glittered on the water, turning it to gold.

Allura sighed contently from next to him.

"So... you and Keith huh..?" She smirked sideways at Lance, who made a choking sound and spun around at her with a wild blush staining his face.

"Wh-what gives you that idea?!?" he managed after his chocking fit subsided a bit. Allura chuckled.

"Lonce, I see how you look at him... and how he looks at you." She smiles softly at him. "You cant hide it from me!" she gently pushes his arm, teasing. Lance looked back out the winow blushing even harder.

"I don't know what you mean. He's just a friend." Allura groaned, throwing her head back.

"Lonce! You'll never get anywhere with him with that attitude," she scolded. "You must be optimistic!" Lance snorted

"What's there to be optimistic about? This weekend is going to be awful and he'll probably end up hating me again," he sighed sadly

Allura chuckled awkwardly. "As cheerful as usual I see..." She frowned, thinking of what to say. "But Lonce, in all seriousness... you really think he could ever hate you? I dont know anybody who even dislikes you!" He raised an eyebrow at her, unbelieving.

"Nobody in the dorm even knows me Allura. You're the only one..." he muttered, resting his head on his hand. Allura pouted

"Well it's not like anyone can hate you if you don't know them," she argued

"I guess you have a point there princess," he smiled teasingly at her, and she scoffed.

"I told you not to call me that! I do have a question though..." Lance raised an eyebrow, prompting her to continue. "How come you're in our room instead of with the other boys?"

"Pidge didn't want me to have to suffer being in the same room as Keith... I guess." Allura nodded in understanding. "So what's Pidge up to now?" he asks, completely changing the subject. Allura brightens immediately.

"Oh, the dear is organising supper for us all!" she beamed. "Katie is just such a lovely person, Lonce don't you agree?" She sighed happily, gazing out of the window. Lance snorted.

"So... you and Pidge, huh?" Allura gaped at him

"What do you mean Pidge and I??!" she nearly screeched, throwing her hands over her face as red rapidly bloomed.

"Oh my dear Allura... you know exactly what I mean." He grinned devilishly at her. She groaned and punched him on the arm with exasperation. "Ouch..." he grumbled, rubbing the spot lightly.

"Even if I wanted to pursue Katie... I'd lose my job so there's no way I would anyway..." She looked sadly at the off white carpet. "She's just so amazing and capable but... RAs can't date the students that live in dorms." Lance raises an eyebrow at that.

"Allura... RAs can't date students from their designated dorm. Pidge is in Shiro's dorm.." She looked blankly at him

"What....?" her voice was quiet.

"Yeah, I looked up the campus guidelines for the RAs after Pidge told me you two had coffee a few times." He smirked at her. "You can go nuts with her." Allura's face blossomed an impossible red at that.

"I will not be going 'nuts' with anybody thank you very much!" She said in a very defensive, matter-of-fact tone. Lance laughed.

"Sure you wont."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry boys but im ending the chapter there, its all ready been too long since I updated (sorry about that btw) wattpad kept deleting it and then I was too depressed to write anything but here we ArE AND ENJOY


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